Loss After Love
by Miranda de la Costa
Summary: CHAPTER 18 IS UP! Erik is still mourning over Christine marrying Raoul. Will he love again, or is he doomed to live a life of solitude? RR Please!
1. La Femme Noire

January 9,2005- Happy New Year everyone! So I went to see The Phantom of the Opera last night and I have to tell you, it was an awesome movie! It was so good that I felt inspired to write this fic. I hope you enjoy it and may this year and the following ones be filled with happiness for you and your loved ones.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of POTO. I wish I owned the Phantom!

Love after Loss: La Femme Noire

Emily de les Anges frowned as she approached the door of L'Opera in Paris, France with her suitcases in her hands. She couldn't understand why she thought that she was good enough to tryout and be apart of the most respected company of her time. Her mother told her she had a beautiful voice, but her mother died a few months ago from something the doctors could not diagnose. The biggest fear was that the disease was hereditary, but they reassured her that if Emily had not felt any odd symptoms , then she was fine. For the past months after her mother's death, Emily seemed to be walking in a world full of darkness, which she greatly accepted it as her home until death claimed her. She began to dress in all black, and her faced was disguised from the world with a thick, black veil. On the days that she roamed the streets of France, people would stare at her and whisper, "Look, it is La Femme Noire!" When she heard it for the first time, she was not offended, on the contrary, she embraced it. It would allow her to have all the privacy in the world, since she did not want to socialize with anyone here. If it had not been for the love she had of participating in Opera, she would have preferred to live by herself and have no connection with the outside world. But obviously there she was, standing at the doors of the theater. She took a deep breath and entered the theater. She walked up the stairs and headed towards the three men who were on the stage,

"Excuse me Messsieurs, but are you three in charge of the auditions?" The youngest of them shook his head,

"No Mademoiselle, Messieurs Firmin and Andre are in charge, but they are away on business and will return tomorrow." He explained while he checked her out in mild curiosity. The other two men where whispering to each other as they stole glances at her. Emily sighed, but she curtsied,

"Thank you monsieur." She turned to leave but the young man called out to her,

"Mademoiselle! you may use one of the dressing rooms for tonight since you are already here. Just give me your name and I shall put you on the list."

" I am Emily de les Anges from Toulouse."

"Very well Mademoiselle de les Anges, your name is on the list and you may take room number 17 as your own for tonight."

" I appreciate this very much. Good day Messieurs." She curtsied and headed to dressing room 17. When she reached it, she went inside and put down her suitcases on the floor. She looked around the room, it was beautifully decorated with lavish furniture. She took off her veil and revealed a beauty with pale skin, waist length raven hair, and green eyes. She checked herself in the full length mirror. She looked extremely tired after the long day traveling across the country. She then saw the beautiful mahogany piano in the corner of the room. She walked over and hit one of the keys and a beautiful, pure sound filled the room. "Maybe I should practice for tomorrow." She told herself. She then hit her desired key. After listening to it for a moment, an angelic voice came from Emily's mouth as she sang a couple of scales to warm up and then music she carried around with her everywhere she went. After she finished the last song, she looked at the clock which read nine o'clock at night. She decided that getting extra sleep for tomorrow was the best thing to do. With that Emily blew out all of the candles and went to sleep.

Emily roused from her sleep at an early time so she could get ready. After getting dressed and finishing with her toiletries, she went downstairs and found two men standing on the stage. She walked up to them and they sort of stared at her in shock, but she ignored them,

"You are Messieurs Firmin and Andre, are you not?" The man with white hair and moustache bowed,

"We are mademoiselle, I am Monsieur Andre and the man with black hair and moustache is Monsieur Firmin."

"A pleasure," Emily curtsied, "I am here to tryout for a spot in your company."

"Of course! your name please." Firmin said as he held up a clipboard.

"Emily de les Anges."

"de les Anges...de les Anges," Firmin repeated quietly as he scanned for her name, "Ah ha! there you are, there is no need for you to tryout. Our composer has said he wanted you to be apart of our company. Congratulations, L'Opera is your new home and these people are your new family."

Emily's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she has heard, "Who is this composer you speak of?"

Monsieur Andre lowered his voice as he explained, "In this theater, there is a man who grew up here, he is a complete genius in play production and singing. But this man has a horrible malformation on the right side of his countenance which he hides with a mask. He is known as The Phantom of the Opera. He insists that he be paid twenty thousand francs and that the box five be kept to his private use only. Hardly anybody sees him. He only communicates by letters of his demand to us. But God forbid if any of us ignore his demands. Then there is a price to pay..."

"But let us not frighten you. Rehearsals start tomorrow. Now, go and celebrate."

Emily walked away happily. But Firmin called out to her once more, "Mademoiselle, not to cause any offense, but you must get rid of your black clothing since you are now apart of the company and we don't want the others to feel uncomfortable around you."

She sighed, "Of course Monsieur, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Firmin and Andre chuckled, "That's a good girl." Emily walked away to her dressing room. On her way she bumped into a young woman with long brown, curly hair. She smiled,

"Hello, you must be Emily, I've heard that you are a new member, welcome! I am Christine Daae." She looked at Emily's dark clothing, "So, um, Erik said you have a beautiful voice."

Emily cocked her head to the side, "Who is this Erik person?"

Christine laughed, "Silly me, Erik is the one who writes our plays. He heard you sing last night."

Suddenly an ugly woman with a huge nose and too much makeup walked up to the two women, "Christine, where is my costume?" She saw Emily, "So, is this the young lady who made it in with the composer's request." She gave Emily a mean look, "Tell me you little whore, did you sleep with him to get in this easily?"

Emily's eyes opened widely, "I beg your pardon? I would like to let you know that I didn't sleep with anyone here! It seems that I have the voice to make it in this company. But if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. It was nice meeting you Christine." Christine tried to apologize for the ugly woman,

"Emily, don't let Carlotta upset you." Emily nodded as she headed towards her dressing room. Then she turned and faced Carlotta once more,

"Here's a tip for you, why don't you ease up on the makeup, you still look like something a rat threw up anyway." Carlotta gasped as Christine tried to stifle a laugh. Emily walked back into her dressing room and shut the door behind her. She smiled as she jumped up and down. She had made it! She was part of L'Opera! She grabbed the portrait of her mother and smiled at it,

_I knew you had something to do with this Mother. Thank you..._

She then frowned as she put it on the mantle, of course everyone was uncomfortable with her way of dressing herself and now she had to do what they wanted in order for this job to be secured. She took off the black dress she was wearing and actually for the first time grabbed a red dress. She held up the black dress after she put the red one on, "And so ends the tale of La Femme Noire." She put the dress on and headed out to meet her new family.

A/N: So, what did you think? I hoped you liked it, Please RR! Ideas are welcomed! See you next chapter!


	2. A New Family

Jan. 10,2005- Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews I greatly appreciate them

Rena1- Thanks for the compliments and here are the answers to your question, the story takes place after the play. Christine is still with the theater and she is married to Raoul. The answer to the second question is that "noire" is French for black. So the title of chaper 1 is The Black Lady. Please keep reviewing my story!

Pink Dragon- Thanks for reviewing my story! Don't worry it will differ greatly from Christine's story and by the way I took a Litmus test and my character is original!! Please kept reviewing

By the way, "la gardienne" means the house keeper (female) and de les Anges means from the angels.

Disclaimer: I don't own any The Phantom of the Opera characters sighs sadly

Loss after Love: The New Family

Emily walked down the hall by herself, admiring the beauty of the theater. She truly felt blessed that she was given the opportunity to share her gift with all of France, maybe one day, with all the world.

"There you are!" She heard someone exclaim. She turned around and saw Christine with another young woman who seemed to be around her age, "I've been looking around for you everywhere! I wanted to introduce you to my close friend Meg Giry. She is the daughter of Madame Giry." Emily bowed her head,

"A pleasure," Meg bowed as Emily continued, "Will I get to meet your mother anytime soon?" Meg nodded,

"Yes, she is the ballet mistress in this company. She has been for many years." Meg's pride shone in her eyes. Christine smiled,

"What does your mother do for a living?" A sigh came out as the raven haired beauty answered,

"My mother passed away recently..." Christine frowned,

"Oh Emily, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's understandable, you didn't know..." Meg tried to ease the tension,

"Is your father alive?"

"No. He died when I was two. That was eighteen years ago. I have nobody."

Christine and Meg each put a hand on one of Emily's shoulders,

"Don't worry, you are not alone," Christine assured her, "My father died when I was young too. I was an orphan until Madame Giry took me in and brought me here to learn how to dance."

"Meg nodded as she smiled, "We're your family now." Christine nodded. Emily bowed her head,

"Thank you, I feel much better now." The three of them then headed to the kitchen where everyone was enjoying a very fine meal. The three of them took a seat next to each other and then gathered food on their plates. Many introductions were made as Emily began to learn the names of everybody. Monsieur Andre then stood up,

"Attention everyone!" The whole place got perfectly silent. "I want to announce taht we have a new member to add to our family. Please make Emily de les Anges feel welcome. Emily, stand up so everyone can see you!" Emily reluctantly stood up and waved to everyone. There was cheering and applause coming from everyone except Carlotta, who shot her an ugly look. Emily chose to ignore her. She sat back down and ate her breakfast. As she ate, she suddenly felt a thick, salty liquid rise within her lungs. She began to choke on it and therefore began to cough forcefully. Christine got up and crouched next to her,

"Emily, what is wrong?" Emily shook her head and got up to run out of the room. She ran back to her room and locked the door behind her. Still coughing forcefully, that she threw herself on the floor as the force shook her body greatly. With a final cough, blood splattered onto the floor. Amy looked at it in shock, but she reassured herself.

_That's from all the stress that I've been feeling lately. But it's nothing, it's just this one time._

Emily grabbed a towel and cleaned up the mess. Just as she finished, there was a knock on the door,

"Emily?" Christine called out, "It's Meg and me. Are you okay?" Emily hid the bloody towel and wiped the blood away from the corner of her mouth. She opened the door,

"Hey, you two. I choked on a piece of bread, but I'm fine now. I'm sorry I scared you." The two of them smiled, relieved. Emily looked at the clock in her room, "My goodness, rehearsal is about to start, come on, we don't want to be late!" The three of them headed to the stage. An elegant woman smiled at Emily,

"Hello child, I am Madame Giry, Meg's mother." Emily curtsied,

"Yes, I know who you are. Meg has told me many great things about you. I am just sorry that I gave everybody such a scare. I didn't not mean to." Madame Giry smiled,

"My dear, there is not need to apologize, the important thing is that you are okay. Now come along you three, rehearsal is going to begin any moment now." The three of them followed Madame Giry and then got to the stage where Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre were standing. Monsieur Firmin cleared his throat,

"I have the next play we are going to perform in my hand. There are five main parts to _La Gardienne_. There is La Gardienne, her husband, the daughter, the mistress of the house where La Gardienne works in, and the dog." Everyone laughed at the thought of a singing dog. The three friends wished each other luck. Carlotta whispered to Emily,

"I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even want you to play the role of the dog. As for me, I was born to be the mistress or La Gardienne."

"Meg, you shall be the Mistress of the House," Monsieur Andre announced, "Christine, you will be the daughter, Piagani you will be the husband. Carlotta you will be-"

"Do not tell me monsieur, I know you want me to be La Gardienne. I, Carlotta, will not let you down." She said the last part of the final phrase with a wicked smile directed at Emily.

"Actually Carlotta, you will play the role of the dog." Monsieur Andre said timidly. Everyone laughed as the opera diva threw a big fit. Monsieur Andre tried to regain everyone's attention, "Anyway, I am pleased to say that Mademoiselle de les Anges will play the role of La Gardienne." Everyone applauded. Scripts were handed out and everyone chattered eagerly about the play. Emily went over to Carlotta,

"At least they gave you a role you can relate to." She gave Carlotta a wink. Christine and Meg laughed. Carlotta stuck her nose up in the air,

"Humph!" and with that the opera diva stormed off.

Later that evening after ten hours of long and hard practice, Emily entered her room. her hear was light and happy. She got ready for bed and headed towards it. On the pillow she found a letter with a seal in the shape of a skull.

_What is this? _Emily asked herself as she began to open the letter. Perhaps it was from Monsieur Firmin or Monsieur Andre. When she opened it and read it, her eyes opened in shock:

_Mademoiselle de les Anges,_

_Welcome to L'Opera. I knew you were the one when I heard you sing last night. I hope you are pleased with the role that you got today. I hope to see you sometime soon. Remember, I am watching you... do not make me regret my decision of choosing you._

_-The Phantom of the Opera_

Emily looked around the room with a quizzical look on her face. How did he know that she stayed in this room? How did he know that she was singing last night? All those questions bothered her as she laid down on her bed. Sleep claimed her as she dreamt of a masked phantom taking her away from the hardships of reality.

A/N: So what did you think? Please review my story! Ideas are always welcomed! See ya next chapter!


	3. The Phantom of the Opera

January 15,2005- Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a few days, school was keeping me busy!

Phantom Ange- Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I think it's awesome that you worked in a circus and you are now a magician. I loved and still do love those shows. I am glad that I captured the cast and family values correctly. And you're right I do love "other women" stories! And I would greatly appreciate your ideas for the entertainment family! I hope you do keep reading!

Rena1-Thanks for reviewing again! I'll try not to make the romance build too quickly, but don't worry, the phantom won't fall in love too quickly! :-)

Pink Dragon- I am glad that you are happy with my story! I am trying not to fall into the Mary-Sue character. But please tell me if I do!

Sesshomaru's Angel- Thank you so much! I will try to update soon!

Love After Loss: The Phantom of the Opera

The next day, Emily awoke to the aching pain of her muscles. She slowly got out of bed and got prepared for rehearsal. She walked down the halls that were slowly beginning to become familiar to her. She looked up ahead as she heard footsteps coming closer. To her surprise, Christine was seen walking hand in hand with a young man with shoulder length blonde hair and gorgeous eyes. The two lovers were locked in a gaze in which everyone seemed to disappear and only the two of them existed on the planet. Emily cleared her throat politely as the two of them were about to run her over if they did not pay attention to where they were going. They both then snapped back into focus. Christine smiled, "Oh Emily I didn't see you there." Emily cocked an eyebrow as she playfully stated,

"So I've noticed." Christine blushed at her remark. She looked over to the young man w who gave her hand he was holding, a gentle squeeze. Christine looked back at Emily,

"Emily, this is my husband Raoul he too is an owner of the theater. Darling, this is Mademoiselle Emily des les Anges. She is a new member and very talented." Raoul grabbed her hand as she curtsied,

"A pleasure." His lips briefly brushed against her knuckles as she returned the greeting. The three of them stood there talking about the theater and how Emily was doing adjusting to her new home, when the thing she wanted to tell Christine popped into her head,

"Christine, can I have a moment of your time whenever you have an opportunity?"  
"What is it Emily, is something wrong?"

"I just wanted to tell you something."

"Emily, you're making me nervous, go on now, tell me!"

Emily eyed Raoul uneasily, but she did not want to offend neither Raoul nor Christine by saying that she did not want him to hear it. She took a rather deep breath,

" I received a letter from the Phantom of the Opera." Christine looked at her sternly,

"When did you get it?"

"Last night; I was getting ready for bed and that's when I saw it there, laying on top of my pillow."

"My he's a quick one, I didn't expect Erik knew where your dressing room was." Emily frowned,

"Yes, Erik, that's his name. To the others who work in this theater, and France as the Phantom of the Opera. He has created quite a legend for himself." Raoul scoffed,

"Yes, quite. Listen to me Emily, it is best that you don't come face to face with him. He's a lunatic." He never left Christine for a-"

"Wait a minute," Emily interrupted as she turned to Christine, "You know The Phantom of...I mean Erik?" Christine nodded,

"Yes, he thought me how to improve my singing when I was young. What I didn't know was that after all these years of teaching me, he had fallen in love with me." There was a brief pause as Christine allowed Emily to process the surplus of information. Raoul continued the story from there,

"When I started to court Christine and finally proposed to her, he finally snapped. He took over the role of Don Juan, kidnapped Christine, and tried to kill me. But we knew before of his plans to take over the role and we used that to lure him into a trap. After this scenario he finally understood that Christine could never love him. He became a recluse but, be wared, he is a murderer..." He put emphasis on the last few words. Christine shook her head sadly,

"The poor man is lonely and has been abused his whole life. He needs to be loved, that's all... but most people cannot see past his mask. Emily," Christine grabbed her hands, "Most of the plays that we perform are written by him, he is pure genius!" Raoul put a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a gratifying smile and slowly went into his arms for a hug. Emily watched the two of them. They seemed so happy together, even after that trying moment in their relationship. For the first time in her life, she smiled revealing a side that she hid for a while after her mother passed away. To everyone's dismay, Carlotta came storming up,

"There you are you two! Come on, you two are late for rehearsal. Let's go!" She went off back towards the theater. Raoul kissed Christine on the lips as a goodbye,

"Dinner tonight then?" Christine smiled as she tweaked his nose,

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Raoul reached for Emily's hand and kissed it once more,

"It was a pleasure meeting you Mademoiselle de les Anges." Emily curtsied,

"Thank you monsieur, I look forward to seeing you again." The three of them parted ways. While on their way to the stage they talked about many things. They shared many laughs in which Emily could not recall laughing so hard in her life. Their conversation turned to the topic of love; Christine turned to look at her,

"Emily, did you ever love someone?" Emily stopped dead in her tracks. She stared Christine down as she debated whether or not she should trust her enough to respond to her question. Christine flinched. She saw that the inquiry about the young woman's love life had greatly disturbed her, "Emily?" She called out softly. The two women's eyes met. Emily smiled awkwardly,

"I...I...I don't want to talk about it. Tell Messieurs Andre and Firmin that I cannot attend rehearsal today, I am not feeling well." She ran off with Christine calling out,

"Emily!"

Emily ran down the halls and into the privacy of her dressing room. She locked the door and sank to the floor crying. The man that she had given her very soul to was a very violent man. She had not noticed it until they were thinking about marrying each other. His tantrums would then take over and erase any sensibility in his mind. He started beating her brutally. She could never forget the time her mother came in and saw her on the floor with a bruised eye after Emily told him she was leaving him for good. Her mother then got in a violent confrontation with her ex and then took Emily away. After that day Emily's mom was so upset that it ultimately got her sick and eventually died. Emily began to cough violently, "Oh no, not again." she said. She began to perspire as her whole body began to shake with the effort. She felt something trickle down one of the corners of her mouth. She stuck her tongue out to taste it.

_Please let it be sweat... _she prayed. She felt it touch her tongue. Blood. She cried out in frustration,

"What is wrong with me!" She sighed a deep sigh as she wiped away her tears and then the remaining blood on the corner of the mouth . To her surprise she heard sobbing that she could not pinpoint the location from which it came. It broke the heart of whoever could hear it. The person seemed to be in great pain. He or she said something, but she couldn't understand it because it was drowned out by the sobs that came from the person's mouth. Emily walked to the other side her dressing room. As she took each step closer to that side of the room, the sobs got louder and louder. Then she stopped when she finally understood what the person was saying. The soft voice sobbed,

"Christine...Christine..."

Emily looked around that side of the room. She walked over to the wall and put her ear to it. She could hear laughter, but not the crying voice she sought out. When she walked over to the mirror and stood in front of it, she noticed that the cries were louder. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to explain this odd predicament.

_How can the crying come from behind the mirror? Nobody lives on the other side of the mirror! _ She felt the backside of the mirror and found a button.

_Unless... _

She pressed the button and the mirror opened up like a door revealing a dark pathway. Emily let out a gasp and tumbled back in shock. But curiosity got the better of her as she went down the dark passageway. It was cold and damp as she blindly walked down its halls with one hand on the wall for balance and security. Her heart leaped with joy as she saw light at the end of the tunnel. She ran towards it and then to her surprise she saw a lake with a boat waiting to be used in front of her. She stared in awe. The water in this lake was clear blue. She could see her reflection. She saw that there were many candles illuminating the great cave. She could still hear the crying of the mysterious person echoing off the walls. She got into the boat, grabbed the oar and started rowing. She examined the cave as she went deeper and deeper into the mysterious place inside the theater. When Emily saw what seemed to be another entrance that branched off into another cave and she heard the crying coming from there, she decided to take the route and go inside. There she saw a magnificent sight. There were literally hundreds of candles illuminating the place and it was decorated nicely. To her surprise she saw an enormous and gorgeous organ there. She got off the boat and quietly looked around. She didn't want whoever lived there to know she was snooping around. She heard the crying coming from a room above. She walked up the stairs with her heart beating furiously. Finally, she would meet the mysterious and miserable person who she felt truly sorry for. She looked through the sheer curtains and saw a man in all black sitting on the edge of his bed hunched over with his head in hands crying,

"Christine...Christine..."

The young woman quietly pulled the curtain out of the way as she entered. She quietly went up to him,

"Monsieur...why are you crying?" Emily whispered.

The young man looked up in shock at someone being in his home. Emily noticed that half of his face was covered in a mask. So her new family wasn't lying about the story there was a Phantom of the Opera and here she was face to face with him. A tear trickled down his cheek and Emily wiped it away.

A/N: So what did you think? I know it took me a long time to put this one out so I hope you aren't disappointed with it. Since this is a three day weekend for me, I'll try to post more chapters then. Thanks for your reviews and keep them coming! Remember, I am always open to ideas and if you do send me some I will try to incorporate them! See you next chapter! God bless you all, bye!


	4. A Friendship is Formed

January 18, 2005- So here we are at Chapter 4! I am surprised that I made it this far! I had a really hard time writing this chapter, but hopefully I won't have that problem anymore!

Phantom Ange- Thanks for reviewing my story again! as you can see I did review your new chapter, very nice I might say. I like your character Veronica Smith, because that is my first name! But keep writing and thanks for your tips, I tried to put those in this chapter and future ones.

Quiet2885- Thanks for reviewing my story! I'll try not to make them fall in love too easily!

Sesshomaru's Angel- Thanks for your review! And I will try to update often!

Chapter 4: A Friendship is Formed

The masked man closed his eyes as he felt what he thought was the hand of his angel caress the unmasked side of his face as she gently wiped away his tears. He opened his eyes Yes, there she was! There stood the very fiber of his existence. Had she come back to him? He took her hand and whispered,

"Do you still love me, my Christine?" His angel looked at him curiously,

"Pardon monsieur, but I am not Christine." He looked at his Christine who began to fade away and began to change shape into a raven haired stranger. Erik got up abruptly, slapping away at the hand he thought belonged to his one true love. He slowly got up revealing a murderous glint in his eyes,

"How did you get into my home?" Emily then began to believe everything Raoul had told her about him. She began shrinking away from him, fearing for her life,

"I-I didn't mean to monsieur, it's just that I heard you crying and I wanted to see where it came from. So I went around the room and heard it coming from my mirror, I then pressed the button, and here I am!" The man began approaching her slowly,

"Mademoiselle, hasn't anyone told you that it's impolite to come in to a person's home without knocking first?" He backed her into a corner. Knowing that this was possibly the end, she closed her eyes and prayed that her passing was quick and painless. After a moment of nothing happening, she opened her eyes to see him walking away from her,

"Wait!" She called out to him as she ran after him, "Aren't you the one everyone calls The Phantom of the Opera?" She hoped the obviously stupid question would get him to speak. He gave a harsh laugh that Emily noticed had a little insanity mixed up in it,

"Really, Mademoiselle de les Anges, do you think acting like a half-wit is going to amuse me?" he began to go up the stairs with Emily following closely. He was beginning to irritated with her. "What do you want with me? He spat out. He had many things to do and she was putting him behind schedule.

"I was just wondering why you were crying out Christine's name, that's all..." The Phantom looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. Could someone really be this stupid? Especially when she was the friend of his one true love? He continued to his destination,

"I think you know the answer to that already." The man with dark brown hair and mysterious eyes was ready to ditch her at whatever possible moment he could. Here he was, living this life of solitude which he thought he would have been liberated from if his Angel would have chosen him instead of that pretty boy Raoul. The memories came back all to quickly. Raoul and Christine kissing. The ring, the heartbreak. That's why he had become so angry and even more withdrawn from the world. She had not even come back to see him, but he thought it was best. He turned to face her,

"Now, is seeing that the Phantom of the Opera is not a mere legend enough for you?" She shook her head,

"No." He threw his hands up in frustration as he practically shouted,

"Damn it woman, then what else do you want?" Emily came up closer to him so that they were staring eye to eye,

"The question is not what do I want, but what do you want my good monsieur?" He looked at her with questions in his eyes. Seeing this, Emily smiled and clarified, "When I heard you crying, I knew you wanted Christine by your side, but you also knew that it could never work. But, in that sadness, I heard another longing." His heartbeat began to quicken as he practically whispered,

"And what is that mademoiselle?" The young woman took his hand in hers,

"Friendship..."

The last part caught him completely off guard. No one had even cared enough to be his friend ever since he was betrayed. He felt another tear streak down his right side of the cheek. Emily smiled. She knew she broke a very strong barrier between them. The evil glint in his eyes disappeared. She knew she was seeing the side that only Christine saw in him and no one else. Their hands that were linked together then parted. He sighed,

"You have a kind soul, Mademoiselle de les Anges." Emily held up her hand,

"You can call me Emily, and nothing else, Monsieur Phantom." He took her hand that she was holding up and he brushed his lips against her knuckles,

"Then you may call me Erik." She smiled. She started looking around his home in awe,

"How long have you been down here, Erik?" He sighed sadly,

"All of my life. This is my world, I know of nothing else but music, opera, and the night." He laughed softly. Emily then remembered seeing the big organ in the other room,

"Erik, could you play something for me?" She asked, hoping that he would grant her request. He looked at her hesitantly, but surely enough he nodded and led her downstairs, where he sat next to his beloved organ, his one and only true friend. When he first began to play, it was soft and gentle, but soon enough as he got more and more into the music, his fingers were a blur as they moved among the keys. He was sucked into his world where beauty didn't matter just the music. Emily looked at him as he played. He was truly a genius, a master at what he does. When the final chords of his tune were played, Emily clapped,

"Erik, that was truly wonderful." Erik beamed as he bowed,

"Thank you..." He then smiled, "And if I am not mistaken, someone in here has a big debut in a few weeks." Emily's eyes enlarged,

"Oh my goodness...that's right and I missed the rehearsal today!"

"Emily," Erik said as he lay his hands on her shoulders, "Hush now child, you'll do fine. It was only one rehearsal." Emily smiled as her new friend offered words of comfort. She then deliberated on whether to ask him the question that was burning inside of her. She wanted him to be there, not just for him to witness his glory, but for her own benefit. She wanted someone who would cheer her on.

"Erik..." She hesitated. He looked at her dubiously. She paused, "Will you come and see me?"

Erik smiled, "Mon amie... I wouldn't miss it for the world."

A/N: So what did you think? Like I said, I had a hard time writing this story! Please send me reviews, they're what keep me writing! See you next Chapter!


	5. Tonight is the Night

January 21, 2005- Hey again! Apparently I got a Review saying that I have created a Mary-Sue. For those of you that don't know what the term Mary-Sue means, let me tell you. A Mary-Sue is when someone creates a character that isn't original at all. They take characteristics of a known character and mesh it with their created one. The review then says that my character should be normal without any tragic loss. But I am afraid that the reader forgot to read the genre, because this story **is** tragic. But none the less, I must apologize for not putting up a disclaimer that I do not own any Phantom of the Opera characters just Emily. But just remember that just in case I forget again...Hey, I figured out how to put the accent on the "e" of Andre. Just ask me how and I will try to help you. Now on with the thank you's:

ThyLaSlain- (bows graciously) Thank you! I am so glad that you like my story! I love writing it. Thanks for your reviews and I hope to keep getting more from you!

The Pink Dragon- Yay! I am glad that you like the first interactions with Emily/Erik I tried to make them emotional because our beloved Phantom is an emotional man. Unlike the men in our generation............. Thanks for reviewing and keep them coming!

Phantom Ange- Thank you so much for molding one of your characters after me and for reviewing again! I **love **your story and how my character helps Ariel and Erik get together. There's just too many stories with two people in love and one always trying to mess it up! For all of you that are reading this little fic, I highly recommend that you read her fic. Truly a masterpiece in the making! By the way, did you name your character Ariel after the one from The Little Mermaid? I Love that movie! Anyway please keep reviewing!

Sesshomaru's Angel- Thanks for reviewing again, and don't worry, I promise that I won't rush them into a romance....even though I really want to get to that part! Please keep reviewing!

Chapter 5: Tonight is the Night

The weeks went by quickly as rehearsals and adjusting to the surroundings took up most of her time. She visited Erik as much as she could, but Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmin insisted on extra practices so, they took up the major part of the days. Then as quick as a blink of an eye, it was the day of the premiere of La Gardienne. Emily noticed that there was a lot of tension in the air as they began their final rehearsal before the show. Even Carlotta was nastier than normal,

"Watch out, you little _vermin_!" She hissed at Emily when she accidentally bumped into her. Carlotta's face was red with fury. Emily looked her straight in the eyes, showing Carlotta that she was not afraid of her. The diva had no right to treat her that way, she wasn't any better than her. Christine and Meg hurried over to the two women who were ready to pounce on each other. Christine stood in between them, trying to smooth everything out,

"Now ladies, do we really want this bickering to come in between you two so you can't perform to your potential?" Carlotta sighed in irritation,

"Fine!" She pointed a threatening finger, "But stay out of my way!" She intentionally bumped into Emily as she passed her. Emily turned around and smirked,

"Hey Carlotta!" She called out. The diva turned around with a dark look on her face. Emily smiled,

"Arf! Arf!" She barked like a dog. Christine and Meg tried to stifle their laughs. Carlotta screamed in anger. She stormed off towards Piagani and began ranting on how Emily could get the lead role over her. Meg chastised her but had a smile on her face,

"Emily, you can be so cruel sometimes!" The raven haired beauty just shrugged her shoulders innocently. Monsieur André came rushing up to the three of them,

"Why are you three standing around doing nothing? You must hurry, we have many things to do to prepare for tonight!" He began to usher them to the dressing rooms area. The three girls gave in to doing what their owner said. They wouldn't be able to get together later, because of Christine heading off with Raoul to dinner, and Meg also having a date for the night. The girls waved goodbye to each other and went into their respective dressing rooms. Emily walked over to the corner and began to undress herself. She heard the sound of knocking, put on a robe, immediately went to the door and opened it. To her surprise there was nobody there. She shut the door slowly, while pondering where the noise was coming from.

"I'm over here." Emily slowly turned around and saw Erik on the other side of her mirror. She waved at him to come in. The "mirror" creaked as it opened slowly, and his magnificent form slowly emerged from the darkness. She smiled fondly at him,

"I am glad to see you..." He bowed,

"I had to come and see you, since you've hardly come and seen me this week." He smiled but Emily noticed that behind it, there was a lot of sadness. She sighed and slowly walked up to him,

"I am sorry, but I really did try to see you Erik but-" Erik put a finger to her lips, quieting her. His eyes communicated that he didn't want to upset her on this harrowing night. The peacefulness between them made Emily uneasy, so she looked down at the floor. He fixed his eyes on her. He noticed that she was gnawing on her bottom lip. He snorted as he thought to himself,

_Ah my Petite Rose, do not worry about the situation that lies ahead of you. Tonight is the night that the name of Emily de les Anges will become an esteemed name in every household of Paris!_

She caught him looking at her, "What?" He looked up as if awakened from a thought,

"Hmm?"

"You were staring at me. Why?"

"You must be mistaken, I was staring at the door."

" I see..." She seriously doubted that his last statement. He probably was staring at her, damning her to the very depths of hell for deserting him. He grinned at her,

"I must go. I have many things to do and I do not want to miss ma amie's debut." He bowed once more, "Until, we meet again!" He turned around and headed back to his hideout, his black cape flailed behind him. There was a soft click as the mirror signaled that Erik was gone. She quickly went back into the corner, disrobed and quickly got into her costume. It was a uniform that was mostly black except that the hem and the sleeves were white, along with a white apron that contrasted with the black. There was another knock, but this time it was coming from the door. She opened it and saw the woman that had become almost like a mother to her,

"Bon soir, Madame Giry." The woman smiled at her,

"Bon soir child, I have come to help you get ready." The woman headed for Emily's shoes and helped her get them on. She then grabbed Emily's hairbrush and brushed her hair with long, soft strokes. After making sure that her hair was shiny and healthy, Madame Giry grabbed a hair tie and then began twisting Emily's hair into a tight bun. After she successfully it on, as a final touch she tied a black ribbon around it. The woman then pulled out a makeup kit and with a experienced hand, began applying it. With a final flick of the makeup brush, Madame Giry took a few steps back to admire her work,

"And voilà!" She hugged the young girl, "Ah my child, you have come so far in so little time. Tonight all your hard work will pay off!" She hugged Emily once more, "Good luck tonight!"

"Merci Madame Giry," Emily held both of the woman's hands in hers, "For everything..."

"There is no need to thank me child. Come, the show is going to start in an hour or so." Emily looked at the clock, it read six o'clock. How had time passed so quickly? She then thought that in between getting ready and Erik's surprise visit in her dressing room had kept her extremely busy. She followed the ballet mistress and soon Christine and Meg caught up with her and Madame Giry. They were too nervous to talk with each other, afraid that if one of them opened their mouths, they might be sick right then and there. When they reached the backstage area, everyone was already there. She felt someone grab hold of her right arm forcefully. She spun around and saw Carlotta. Emily couldn't help but sigh in irritation. Carlotta ignored it and pointed a threatening finger at her for the second time today,

"Don't mess up, or you'll regret it Mademoiselle de les Anges." Emily was about to respond when the lights dimmed. Monsieur André came running up,

"Bon chance everybody!" The murmur from the theater's audience ceased and became dead silent. Ready or not, the show was about to begin.

A/N: So what did you think? Hope you like it! Please send me Ideas and reviews! they keep me going! See you next chapter!


	6. La Gardienne

January 22,2005- Hey again! Thanks for all the reviews! This is the big show, but I didn't write it all out, I did one song. Which belongs to me!!!!!!! and Erik and all of them don't belong to me, Only Emily and James do. Who is James? you ask? You'll find out! So go easy on me if it sucks.

ThyLaSlain- Thanks for the French lesson, I will try to remember what you said! Thank you for reviewing and keep them coming!

Sesshomaru's Angel- Thank you for reviewing and I hope you're not disappointed with the show.

Phantom Ange- Thank you! I'm glad you like the story so far!

Chapter 6: La Gardienne

Emily grabbed her broom and took a deep breath, the music started and with a final word of prayer, She walked out on stage and began sweeping the floor. She pretended to go about her business. She glanced up at the audience but she doesn't notice them as she keeps sweeping. She then stops and looks up again, letting out an exaggerated gasp when she finally sees them. The audience laughed at her expression. She pretended to look nervous and pretended to fix her uniform, but she smiles sheepishly as she opened her mouth and began to sing. Her voice filled the theater,

_I am La Gardienne of this House, I cook and clean and Nothing else,_

_But what do I do when I can do nothing else?_

_I sing and dance and listen to my mistress and master scream and shout!_

The audience laughed and clapped as Emily gave them a wink and she began to dance around the stage. The lights went up revealing Meg and Piagani sitting on the bed pretending to argue, but they are frozen in position. Christine is sitting on the floor, also frozen pretending to read an interesting book. Carlotta was laid on her back with her legs and arms in the air. Everyone laughed at Carlotta's costume and her position. Emily went over to where Meg was and she smiled once more as she sang,

_Let me introduce you to the people of this household,_

_Ladies and Gentlemen meet la femme de la Masion,_

_Always yelling at her husband because she likes it so,_

_But this relationship will never be done,_

_She may not love him, but she loves his funds!_

Emily went over to Piagani's side as she put her hand on his shoulder,

_Poor Monsieur de la Maison,_

_After ten years this is getting old,_

_But what can he do if his wife isn't up for fun?_

_Poor Monsieur de la maison,_

_he was born with a mind full of smut!_

She pretended to put her hand to her mouth in shock. The audience laughed at her last line as she walked along to the beat of the music. She went over to Christine and sat right next to her,

_But don't you worry my friends... oh no,_

_See this child sitting on the floor?_

_One of the greatest mind of all time, _

_But she has only one problem,_

_She exactly like her mother,_

_and that scares the men!_

Then she went to Carlotta. Everyone laughed already anticipating what La Gardienne had to say about the dog,

_Now everyone, here is the pup,_

_Cute as can be but can never shut up,_

_Barks everyday but never gets to play._

Then for a finale of her solo, she twirled around once as she belt out the last verses,

_I'm La Gardienne of this house, I cook and clean and nothing else,_

_Come and join us Messieurs and Mesdames..._

She held out the last phrase for effect and for the last phrase she sang it with great force,

_We'll enjoy ourselves in the greatest house of France!_

As the music ended everyone gave Emily a standing ovation. Emily bowed and she sneaked a look at box number five. To her disappointment, Erik wasn't there. But she still smiled at the audience as they kept applauding. The play continued getting wild applause with every act that passed. The grand finale made the audience throw roses at Emily and everyone else. Messieurs André and Firmin came up on stage and the cast clapped for them. The two men went over to Emily and hugged her whispering how proud they were of her. They hugged everyone, linked hands and they all bowed together, making the crowd cheer louder than ever.

When Emily got off the stage so she could get to her dressing a manly voice called out,

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the love of my life." Emily stopped dead in her tracks. She knew that voice, it was the voice that she had lived in fear of since they were together. She turned around and faced the man who made her life a living hell,

"James, what are you doing here?" He smiled as he slowly walked up to her,

"A little bird told me you would be the main attraction, so I had to come and see how well you were doing without me in your life." Emily noticed that he seemed more in control of his emotions now than he was since they were engaged, but then again he was in a public place. His mouth was smiling, but she could see the malice in his eyes burning right into her soul. He had significantly closed the distance in between them, but Emily made sure to back away from him. He closed in and grabbed her arm, causing her to wince in pain. He whispered,

"So you think that your mother saved you from me, did you? Well, I have news for you, your mother is dead so, who's going to save you now?" She noticed that his rage was building but he continued to talk in a very quiet but deadly whisper, "Take me to your dressing room, and don't you make a scene, or you'll be sorry." Emily started to lead him to her dressing room, but Meg's voice called out,

"Emily, the whole cast is going to go out and celebrate come with us!" She then noticed the young man Emily was with, "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy."

James put on his gentleman like smile again, "Oh that's okay, I was just escorting Mademoiselle de les Anges to her dressing room. She's extremely tired from all the nerves she experienced tonight," He turned and looked at her, "Come, you must get to bed now." He started leading her to her dressing room and Emily took one last look back at Meg, who she saw staring at the two of them.

When they got to her dressing room, James looked out into the hall way to make sure that no one was in earshot. Confirming that the coast was clear, he slammed the door and turned to look at Emily with a look full of malice,

"So, here you are at L'Opera Populaire, a big shot opera diva" He quickly grabbed a hold of her, causing Emily to cry out in pain, "And you leave me all by myself, broken hearted laying on the floor." He raised his hand slapped Emily with such a force that she fell back on the floor. Tears were streaming down her cheek as she quietly sobbed. He picked her up by the hair,

"You ungrateful whore! I treated you like a queen and this is how you pay me? You abandon me?" He smacked her repeatedly with a large amount of force.

"James, stop!" Emily screamed as he threw her on the bed and began to undress her. He began tearing her costume off her as she began kicking and scratching him. But it was useless since James was an incredibly strong man. She kept screaming until her throat felt raw. She began coughing violently and the blood came streaming down her mouth but he ignored it and kept doing his dark deed.

_I can't fight him anymore... _Emily thought to herself. She was about to give in when an idea came to her, "ERIK!" She screamed, "Help me, please!" She screamed his name over and over again, still kicking and scratching at James.

_Oh God, he's not coming! James is actually going to get away with this! _Emily began to cry and scream in hysterics. Then she heard a sound of glass being smashed. James was hurled off of Emily and thrown to the floor. She got up and saw Erik there poised with his sword out and pointing it at James' throat. A wild look was in the phantom's eyes as he spat out,

"You...bastard," He could hardly control his emotions, "How dare you treat a lady with such disrespect," Erik raised his sword, "You don't deserve to live!" James covered his eyes. Emily then got up and rushed to Erik's side,

"No Erik! Not here!" Erik looked at her incredulously. She put her hand on his shoulder,

"Let him go. He has learned his lesson." He put up his sword,

"Very well." He looked at James, "You were lucky today, but if I find you by yourself, you won't be accompanied by Lady Luck much longer." James ran out of the room, leaving them by their selves. Emily wiped her tears away as Erik turned and faced her, "Are you alright?" She smiled through her tears,

"Yes, thanks to you Erik." She hugged him and she put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat, "Erik, I was scared that you wouldn't make it in time..."

"Nonsense, mon amie, I will always come when you call for me." He tilted her chin up so they were looking eye to eye, "By the way, I saw you do your part tonight." Emily smiled,

"Really, what did you think?" He smiled,

"Brava, brava, bravissimi."

A/N: So what did you think? I really enjoyed writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please review, that is what keeps me going! See you next chapter!


	7. Falling

January 24, 2005- Okay Chaper7! Wow, I've been writing a lot lately! Thanks for all the reviews, I love you guys!!!!!! So hopefully you'll like this chapter! By the way the song in this chapter does not belong to me! It's Music of the Night from the Show and Movie so, go on and swoon!

Sumi-Chan the Great- Thanks for reviewing, and I'll try to remember to put the translation to French words next chapter!

The Pink Dragon- Yay, I'm glad you like it! I hope that you'll keep reading and I hate James already too!

ThyLaSlain-Yeah, the phantom is sexy, isn't he? I'm glad that you like my character! Thanks for reviewing and keep them coming!

Phantom Ange-Thanks, I'm glad my song didn't suck, it took me a whole afternoon to write it!

Sesshomaru's Angel- Yeah Emily has a lot of explaining to do, so this chapter will kind of help... thanks for your reviews!

Countess Alana- Thanks so much for reading my story and I'm glad you like it so far, I will try to keep the story interesting! So please keep reviewing!

Chapter 7: Falling

Emily sat down on the piano bench and put her hands on her face. How did James find her? tears streamed down her cheeks once more as she sobbed about how her night of perfection was ruined. She then stopped crying abruptly because she suddenly remembered that she wasn't the only one in the room. She looked up at Erik to see him staring at her. Her heartbeat quickened as he came up to where she was sitting and wiped away her tears,

"Now, now ma petite fleur, there is no need for you to be sad. he won't harm you, I won't let him." He grabbed her hand and kissed it, making her smile. Emily then turned around and faced the piano. She moved over and beckoned him to come and sit next to her. He did, but he continued to stare at her. He was seriously debating on whether or not to ask her the question that was burning within the deep dark depths of his soul...or better yet, the fragments of what was left. But, most importantly, want to add any more distress than what she was already feeling. he closed his eyes so he could dwell on this subject a little longer. The sound of random notes being played on the piano brought him back to reality. She began to play a scale on the piano and then she hit a wrong note. In her frustration she began to bang the keys as a sob escaped her mouth. He put his hands on hers, making her stop banging the piano. She was still sobbing loudly as she basically laid her head on the piano's keys,

"Oh Erik, he was a horrible man! He would beat me and do many other horrible things, but I didn't have the power to make him stop...I was too weak..." She looked up and smiled a very sad smile, "Oh how love makes us weak and naive!" He nodded his head sadly understanding his pain,

"Oui, mon amie indeed it does. But how we learn from it!" A knock was heard at the door. Emily slowly got up and walked towards it, praying that it wasn't going to be James. She placed her ear on the door and listened. As if on cue Christine called out,

"Emily, are you in there? I just wanted to talk to you about how great you were tonight." Emily wiped her tears away. She opened the door and she saw Christine's face go from happy to sad after seeing Emily's face streaked with tears, "Emily, why are you crying?"

"Why would you care, you know nothing of pain..." Erik lashed out at her catching Christine totally off guard. Her eyes widened as she saw the shadow of the man who in the past had caused her and her lover so much pain. Erik stood up and walked over to her, "You think you know what it is to feel the pain of love?" He laughed an insane laugh. that made the two women's heartbeat a little quicker. He went over to Christine and put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You, poor child...I guess you're right. Feeling something for a person and then not having them return the feelings." Erik then put his hand to his mouth mockingly, "Oh that's right...you have Monsieur de Viconte so, I guess you can call yourself fortunate." The words seemed to cut deeply through Christine's emotions because she began to cry. She took one look at Emily who avoided her gaze. She turned around quickly and left, leaving Emily and Erik together by themselves.

"Why were you so cruel to her?" Emily asked quietly. Erik fixed his cape as he returned to his position next to Emily on the piano bench,

"I had to be realistic with her. Plus, you don't need to be disturbed right now." She eyed him suspiciously. But he only replied to her gaze by caressing her face as he slowly whispered, "Ah my precious flower, you were spoiled by the ignorance one had for reality. I wish that I had that gift."

"W-What do you-?" He cut her off by placing his index finger on her lips,

"Hush now, let's not talk about this anymore. Perhaps if I played something for you..." He waited for her to nod her head and when she did, he began to play the opening chords of his favorite song he wrote. When he got to his cue, he opened his mouth and out came out a voice that Emily could only describe as saintly,

_Night-time sharpens,  
heightens each sensation  
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination  
Silently the senses abandon their defenses ..._

_Softly, deftly,  
music shall surround you ...  
Feel it, hear it,  
closing in around you ...  
Open up your mind,  
let your fantasies unwind,  
in this darkness which  
you know you cannot fight -  
the darkness of the music of the night ...  
_

Emily felt herself being drawn into his world of music where his looks didn't matter. For the first time, Emily looked at him as he drew himself deeper in the music,

_Let your mind start a journey  
through a strange new world!  
Leave all thoughts  
of the world you knew before!  
Let your soul take you where you  
long to be !  
Only then can you belong to me ..._

The last phrase of that part of the song caught her off guard. Was he singing that to her?

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!  
Touch me, trust me savor each sensation!  
Let the dream begin,  
let your darker side give in  
to the power of the music that I write -_

_the power of the music of the night ..._

He stopped singing and he began to exhibit his expertise in piano playing as he played a few chords. He looked at her differently than he ever did before. She locked onto his eyes as he finished,

_You alone can make my song take flight -  
help me make the music of the night . . ._

As he finished singing, there was an uncomfortable silence as the two of them never broke the gaze. He caressed her cheek with one of his hands,

"Emily...I-" She tried to put her hand to caress the right side of his face but with a klutzy move she knocked the mask off. As a pure reflex he hid his deformation with his hand. His left eye had a wild look,

"W-Why?" He began to curse her name as tears began to flow down his cheeks. He had been betrayed again. The one person he thought he could finally trust had fooled him and was finally about to learn the monster he really was. Emily stood there for a second and then slowly walked up to him. He stood there with his right hand still on the deformed side his countenance as she slowly faced him. She took his right hand off and finally saw the part of the face that the mask craftily hid. He had many jagged scars and he did not have much of a nose. The right eye's bottom part of it's pupil stood out a little more than normal. She ran her hand down the deformed side. Erik stood there in shock with the tears still streaming down his face. She looked into his eyes without a trace of fear,

"Monsieur, why are you crying?" He began to sob as he whispered,

"Because a friend has found out that I am truly a monster..." She smiled as she kept her hand on the deformed side of the face,

"I do not see a monster...but I see a man," She then put her other hand on the other side of his face and moved them up to his eyes, "With two eyes," She then let her hands travel down to his nose, "A nose," The hands then went down to his lips running over them and finally lingered on them, "And two lips..." She eyed them as she had a strong urge to replace her hands with her own lips. He stood perfectly still as the exploration was going on, but his skin began to ignite with the fire of lust. His image of Christine with tears in her eyes after their little confrontation began to fade as he leaned in and drew Emily into his arms. The door suddenly opened and Monsieur André came in, but he did not see Erik, because the phantom leapt through the mirror and disappeared out of sight. The theater owner then saw the glass shards on the ground,

"My God, are you okay Emily?" She nodded,

"Yes, I got angry and threw something at the mirror. Nothing more." He nodded but still eyed the broken glass,

"Oh, I see. I just came by to tell you that we have a masquerade tomorrow." He saw her face at the thought of being at a ball at such short notice, "Don't worry about your costume, Madame Giry will help you with that." He left her alone with the sweet song ringing in her ears that her dear phantom sang to her.

A/N: So what did you think? I had a hard time writing this chapter...! So, ideas are definitely welcomed. Please review, it's what keeps me going! See you next chapter!


	8. Masquerade

January 27, 2005- Hey again! Sorry I haven't posted in two days, I was getting writer's block! But Anyway, thanks for all of your reviews!

Leah Day-Thanks for your review, and I'm glad you liked it! I personally think that I'm not taking it too, and I cannot guarantee that I will be able to write longer chapters, but I will try to! And Erik hasn't notice that she was bleeding because she never had an episode in front of him. But please keep reviewing.

Sesshomaru's Angel-Thanks for reviewing! I am so glad that you like this story. I hope you aren't disappointed with this chapter!

Kalokeri- Thanks for reviewing, I hope this chapter answers your questions the way you wanted them to turn out!

Sumi-Chan The Great- Thanks for reviewing, I really do appreciate it!!!

ThyLaSlain- Thanks for reviewing, But I don't think I'll make them confess what they feel for each other just yet!

Seraphina- Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like it, and don't worry I don't plan to abandon it until I finish it!

The Pink Dragon- I'm glad you liked that little part and personally I think you sing very well!

Phantom Ange- I'm glad you liked the part when Erik voiced his anger at Christine, I thought it was only appropriate!

* * *

Chapter 8: Masquerade 

As soon as Monsieur Andre closed the door, an alarm went off in Emily's head. Tonight was the night of the masquerade and she had no costume. She sighed and shook her head as she went over to the pieces of glass scattered on the floor. She carefully picked them up and threw them away. There was a knock on the door, and Emily got up to answer it. It was Christine. Emily closed her eyes. The scene that took place just a few moments ago played in her head. Erik whispering in Christine's ear, her tears. Emily and Erik's what would have been a kiss... She sighed at the thought of almost feeling Erik's lips on hers.

"Emily?" She opened her eyes and saw Christine smiling at her. Emily smiled back at her, but it quickly disappeared,

"Christine, I'm sorry about what happened..." The other woman's smiled disappeared temporarily but appeared once more,

"Don't worry about it, he had a right to yell at me...after everything we've been through." Emily nodded sadly. Christine changed the subject so she didn't make the situation any more depressing, "Now as I understand, you don't have a costume for the masquerade." Emily opened her mouth to say something but, Christine grabbed her arm and pulled her through the doorway and down the hall, "Come, we're going to go get you one. Plus, I need to get one too!" The two girls went down to the stables and got a horse and a carriage which took them deep into the city. The city was a bustling center in which people bid their neighbors and friends hello, and where there were drunk men stumbling out of the local pub. A rather elderly man came up to them obviously drunk,

"Why, Good morrow to ya Mesdames!" He stumbled as he tried to tip his hat. Christine grabbed Emily's arm tightly and whispered,

"Come on, let's get out of here." They ignored the man who began to laugh when he tripped over his own feet. They went to the store that read, "Madame Pierre's Costume Gallery, good for any occasion." They went inside and were immediately saw the lavish colors of the costumes. Emily and Christine began to go through the costumes one by one until a rather large woman came up to them,

"Bonjour mesdames, I am Madame Pierre. Can I help you ?" Christine nodded,

"Yes, we are looking for your finest costumes." The large woman nodded and then disappeared into the back of the store. A few minutes later she brought out dozens of costumes and laid them out. There was everything from vikings to princesses. The three women had fun sorting through them. Christine then pulled out a beautiful white dress with silver sparkles adorning it,

"Oh Emily, this would be perfect on you!" Madame Pierre nodded,

"That one is one of my favorites, that one is the angel costume. I have the wings in the back it comes with a beautiful mask too." The two women looked at Emily. Christine gave her the dress and Emily studied it. She loved it. She nodded with a smile on her face. Madame Pierre went to the back and brought out the wings. The wings were large and spread out as if ready to take flight. The mask was made of velvet and it matched the dress by having the silver sparkles. The woman gave her the wings and mask. Christine picked out her dress that was red and had gold glitter stripes going down the whole dress. She picked out the mask from the wall and then they went over to area where there were shoes. For their final stop they went over to the cashier where Madame Pierre rung them up. After she finished she put the items into separate bags and handed them to the girls,

"Thank you for your business, hope you see you again soon." The girls then left the store and went to the place where the carriage was waiting for them. They got in and rode back to the theater. The girls began to talk about the masquerade. Christine talked how she and Raoul were going as a prince and princess. She then looked at Emily,

"Is Erik coming?" Emily looked at her in surprise but Christine looked at her, "I know you have something going in between you two. Maybe this could be the step to push you two together." Emily sighed,

"I don't think he know about it, so I guess he's not coming." Christine looked at her sad friend. It was evident that she loved him. But, could he seriously love her? Christine wanted to say something that against her courting Erik. But, she didn't want to hurt Emily's feelings. Christine looked at the clock on the wall. It was six o'clock! She looked at Emily,

"We have an hour until the masquerade!" Emily nodded as Christine said her goodbye and ran out to go get ready. There was excitement in the halls as all the women of L'Opera Populaire were running around getting ready. Christine shut the door behind her and left Emily to get ready. She undressed and tightened her corset. She wet her hair in the sink and began to curl it. She began to put on her dress and then her wings. She went over to her closet and grabbed her pair of white shoes. She got her makeup and put some eye shadow, lipstick and body glitter. She then placed her mask on her face. Emily walked over to the mirror and did a final check. She smiled at herself in the mirror.

_Perfect. _She took deep breath and headed towards the door. When she opened it she heard music already playing, and people talking. She went to the ballroom and began to socialize with people. She watched people dance in their extravagant costumes, laughing at the good time they were having. Emily kept getting stares from the young boys who were unlucky to be dateless this beautiful night. She politely smiled at them as she continued to scan the place for the man she was looking for. While she was scanning, she was surprised to see that the place was full of guards with armed rifles.

"Mademoiselle, you do look ravishing tonight..." She looked up and saw Erik in a beautiful suit of black with a red flowing cape and matching belt. She smiled as she bowed,

"You don't look bad yourself." He grabbed her hand as his amber eyes burned into hers,

"Emily, would you give me the honor of dancing with you?" She blushed,

"Yes, I'd love to." She allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. He put her hand in his, and put his other arm around her waist. They began to dance to the music, lost in their own world. She looked down at the floor as she scolded herself for staring at him.

_Why am I starting to fall for him? _She thought to herself,

_He's still hurting from Christine abandoning him. He's my friend, nothing more..._

Emily was so deep into her thoughts that she was surprised when the orchestra played the last note of the piece. There was polite applause as the musicians got off the stage to go on their break. Erik offered her his arm and after she accepted it, they walked outside and went to the balcony's rail. Emily leaned on the rail and admired the beautiful clear night.

"I've always loved the nighttime. It gives me a serene feeling deep inside of me." She looked up at Erik who looked back at her, "That's why I wrote the song I sang to you. It reminds me of the tranquility that is always omnipresent when that part of the day comes. You could say that it is my whole life..." He trailed off leaving Emily thinking of what he said. A cool breeze rustled the branches of the nearby trees. She began to rub her arms to keep herself warm. He took off his cape and wrapped it around her as she grabbed a better hold of the cape. She smiled at him,

"Merci." He nodded,

"Think of nothing of it." Then there was the sound of a woman screaming,

"Get your hands off of me!" Erik and Emily turned and looked at the struggling figures of James and Meg. They could see that James was obviously very drunk. He tried to pull Meg into his arms and kiss her, but she pushed him away each time. Emily's blood began to boil as she saw Meg in the position that she was in years ago. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She went over to James and pulled him off her, and slapped him across the face with all her mind. He turned around slowly and faced her. There was a savage look on his face. He pushed her to the floor making her fall with great force. In a flash, Emily saw Erik leap over her and lunge himself at James. The two men landed on the floor with a thud swinging their fists at each other. Meg ran over to Emily and helped her up,

"Are you hurt?" Emily shook her head,

"No, I'm fine" She looked on as Erik and James were still on the floor, each swing getting even more violent than the other. Erik got up quickly,

"Enough!" He pulled out his sword, "Tonight, your blood will spill!" James pulled out his own sword,

"On the contrary, Monsieur!" He swung his sword over his head and brought it down towards Erik's head.

_Clang!_

The metal of the swords hitting one another resonated. The men began to duel going back and forth exchanging thrusts and many other techniques that were blocked off by the other. The two women looked on nervously as they prayed that this spat would be over quickly. Suddenly James yelled out as he used all of his strength to slash Erik across the abdomen. Blood oozed from the fresh cut.

"Erik!" Emily screamed as she ran to him. He held out his hand to stop her from coming any closer. He placed his hand over the wounded area and poised himself to fight again. Emily began to panic,

_Erik is hurt. If he keeps going like this, he's not going to survive this duel._

She saw a guard standing with his back facing the glass doors. She ran towards the door and slowly opened it. She went inside and turned to the guard,

Pardon, but may I borrow your rifle?" But before he could answer she grabbed the rifle and ran out the door. Meg ran to Emily. She eyed the rifle,

"Emily what are you doing?" She eyed her warily, but Emily kept her face straight,

"What I should have done many years ago." She loaded the rifle and aimed it at James, "Hey James!" she called out. The two men stopped dueling. James turned around and his eyes immediately filled with fear. She fired the first shot into his chest. The blood spurt out from his body. He looked down at the wound. He ran toward him. She shot him again, and again. She shot him a total of five times before he fell to the ground. His blood surrounded him into a big pool. He shook as he took great breaths to keep himself going. But after a breath that took monumental effort, his body became limp. Emily dropped the gun and ran over to Erik who was bleeding from his wounds. She held him in her arms. He looked at her as he groaned in pain. She ran her hand down the left side of his face. Meg kneeled down on the other side of Erik. She observed the two of them. They seem to love each other deeply. Then a big group of guards came and surrounded the three of them. They saw the body. One of them stepped forward,

"Which one of you have committed the murder?"

"The female with the raven hair. I saw her do it through one of the windows!" A familiar voice called out. Everyone turned around and saw Carlotta. She smiled as she walked towards them. She pointed at Emily, as she talked to the head guard, "Her name is Emily de les Anges. She shot him five times. No one is safe here until you take her away." The guards grabbed Emily and picked her up. They placed her hands behind her back and placed handcuffs on her. Erik struggled to get up,

"No! Leave her alone!" They began to take her away, as Erik heard one of the guards say,

"We'll put her in a cell for tonight, but tomorrow morning she will be hanged." He felt his heart breaking as he screamed out,

"EMILY!" She turned around and looked at him. She smiled at him and the guards pushed her through the door and she was gone. Erik began to sob as Meg held him in an embrace. A tear streaked down one of her cheeks as she was escorted to the back of the carriage. After a short ride to the station. They took off her handcuffs and they pushed her roughly into one of the cells and slammed the door. There was a click that signaled the locking of the door. Emily sat herself on the floor and began to sob.

A/N: So, what did you think? Will Emily actually be hanged in the morning? Is Erik ok? Well, you'll have to find out next chapter, won't you?"


	9. Actions Speak Volumes

January 30, 2005- Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated, I've had too much to keep up with! But hopefully this chapter won't disappoint any of my loyal fans. By the way the song in this chapter is called _Come What May _from the movie _Moulin Rouge_.I don't own it, nor any of the other POTO characters, just Emily and the late James.

daygonna- Thank you for reviewing my story, and I am glad that you like the pairing and the story. I hope you will continue reading it!

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Oh wow, don't freak out! I've updated! Thanks for reviewing! By the way, I like your new penname!

Sumi-Chan The Great-Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story...and the dress!

Doomed Delight- Thank you for reviewing, I'm glad you like it! I hope you keep reading and reviewing my story!

Phantom Ange- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked my recent chapter, I just thought that it was only proper since she went through his abuse, and I thought that it would be a nice little twist. Now, I'm waiting for you to update your story, my dear!

kalokeri- Thanks for reviewing, I hope you will enjoy this chapter even though it's not going to be what you expect!

Galasriniel- Thanks for reviewing! I am very happy that you are anxiously awaiting for my next installment. Hopefully you will not be disappointed!

And now onto...

Chapter 9: Actions Speak Volumes

There was rain falling down and it gave no sign of letting up anytime soon. Erik found himself walking down a field with luscious green blades of grass. He didn't know exactly why he was there, but he thought he could walk around and find someone who could tell him where he was. To his luck he found a group of people standing around a platform where there seemed to be three people who were standing on it. His curiosity got the best of him as he began to walk briskly towards the group of people. To his surprise he saw that the three people were a Reverend, an executioner, and...Emily! He wanted to call out to her but his voice failed him when he saw that there was a noose wrapped loosely around her neck. The Reverend looked at the people and he pointed at Emily as he lectured them with a stern voice, "See what happens when you reject God and you choose to go down the road of sin?"

"Hear, Hear!" were the cry of the people." He continued to point at Emily,

"This woman, has broken the Sixth Commandment, 'Thou shall not kill'!" There was more cries of agreement and Erik could feel panic rising within him,

_She was only trying to save me! _He cried out in his mind. He tried once more to get a word out, but he failed yet again. He looked at Emily. Her head was bent down and was all scraggly-looking and covered her face. Her hands were tied behind her back. He looked around at all the people standing in the crowd. They all wore black, and everyone's skin was as pale as snow. They never looked at one another, they just stared blankly ahead. He turned his attention back to the platform where the Reverend asked everyone to bow their heads. As if they were machines, everyone in the crowd bowed their heads except Erik who looked was looking for a way to save Emily. The Reverend asked The Lord to forgive Emily as she was about to descend down into Hell and that He would save her from the Devil himself. With a final amen from everyone, Erik saw the holy man nod at the executioner. To Erik's horror, he saw the executioner take out a black hood, to which he turned to Emily and said,

"Come on, get your head up!" She did as she was told, She looked up at the crowd and she saw Erik. Their eyes locked onto each other. He saw her give him a small smile as tears streamed down her cheeks. The black hood went over her head, and they tightened her noose. Erik began to try to run down through the people to get to Emily, but when he tried to put his hand on a man's shoulder, his hand went right through him. Erik jumped back in surprise. The whole crowd turned around to face him with nasty smirks on their faces. He then noticed that their right side of their faces were deformed...just like him. They began to talk in unison,

"You can't save her Erik, you two were never meant to be..." Erik drew out his sword,

"NO! I will save her, and then I'll get her out of here. Now, step aside or I'll spill everyone's blood!" He slashed at them, but he could not leave a single cut on them. They started closing in on him. He backed up and then began to run at full speed towards them. But before they could react, he jumped over them and landed in front of the platform. But, it was too late. The Reverend signaled for the executioner to pull the lever. Emily fell through the trap door that opened underneath her feet, leaving her dangling by her neck while her feet began to kick furiously. Erik prepared to jump onto the platform and when he did jump, someone grabbed his cape and pulled him down onto the ground. Erik's eyes widened in horror as he saw Emily's feet slowly stop kicking. The crowd of people with deformed faces closed in on him as he laid there in shock and agony. Emily was dead... His eyes closed as his body began to shake with a sob, "EMILY!"...

Erik sat up quickly in his bed, but regretted it the second the sharp pain awakened in his abdomen. Noticed that he was shirtless and that his wound was dressed. Suddenly he felt nauseated and leaned over the bedside and vomited. He wiped his mouth with his hand.He grabbed his mask that was next to him and put it on. The dream had seemed so real. He looked at his clock and noticed that it was five o'clock in the morning. Today would be the day that Emily would hang. He slowly got up and prepared to get into his clothes but a feminine voice stopped him, "And just where do you think you're going?" He quickly turned around and saw Meg, standing in the doorway. She had her hands on her hips like a mother does when her child has or is in the process of doing some mischief. His eyes narrowed,

"What does it look like? I'm going to go rescue her from that evil place." Meg looked at him in curiosity,

"Erik, you've been unconscious for three days." He looked at her in alarm as the words cut his heart deeply. Three days? Then that would mean...

_She's gone. You, idiot, in your weakness you couldn't save her! _He closed his eyes as he clenched his fists in anger. Meg saw his reaction and quickly reassured him,

"No Monsieur, she is well and she is home. Christine, Monsieur Viconte, and I went to get her the night she was arrested and taken to the jail. I told them that she had saved my life. They cleared the charges and we took her home. She's resting now, and you should do the same." Now that she mentioned it, he was feeling extremely tired. She helped him get into bed, and left him alone. A very heavy weight was lifted off of him. He closed his eyes as he tried to sleep once more. He was on the verge of going into a deep sleep until he heard the noise of footsteps. His eyes popped open. The sound got louder with each step. He winced as he got up. He staggered to his sword. He grabbed it and slowly poised himself to fight,

"Who's there? Show yourself!" His sword gleamed in the candlelight of his home. Christine stepped out of the shadows. He lowered his sword, "What are you doing here?" he asked bitterly, the events of four nights ago still present in his mind. Christine wrung her hands nervously,

"I wanted to check on you and see if you were comfortable." Erik crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her,

"Well, let's just see. I went to the masquerade, danced with one of my friends, her jealous ex-fiancée shows up. Not only did that happen, but as a bonus, I almost bleed to death due to a duel gone horribly wrong, Emily kills him, goes to jail, and now probably doesn't want to even associate with me." He smiled sarcastically at her, "Indeed, I am comfortable." Christine sighed sadly,

"Erik, I know that I can never mend the pain that I caused you in the past. But I can tell you this, I never regretted the choice I made by choosing Raoul over you. I followed my heart, and now I am incredibly happy." She walked over to him and took his hands in hers and whispered softly in his ear, "And you have the chance to be too." She smiled at him as the harshness in his eyes softened. She let his hands go, "Go to her. She's waiting for you." She left him there staring after her. But her last words echoed profoundly in his heart,

_Go to her. She's waiting for you... _

He staggered to his clothes and slowly began to put them on.

On one of the upper levels of the Opera theater and inside her dressing room, Emily laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling and reliving the past days over and over again in her mind. Erik bleeding. Her shooting James. The sound of five gunshots. James dying. She put her hands on her face,

_Murderer..._

She looked up and saw that she was alone in the room. But the voice repeated itself again with anger and malice in its voice,

_Murderer! _

She covered her ears and began to rock back and forth, trying to comfort herself. She wanted to break free, but she knew that the voice would accompany her for the rest of her days,

_You killed him... _

"He got what he deserved!"

_His blood is on your hands!_

"Leave me alone!"

_You will pay for it soon!_

"No!" She began to cry as she threw her pillow onto the floor in rage. She felt the familiar pressure crawl up to her lungs and into her throat. She ran to her bathroom and began to cough up the blood that escaped from her mouth. She wiped her mouth and turned on the faucet. She washed her face with the cold water and dried it with a velvet towel. She walked out of the bathroom and stopped when she saw the familiar figure with the white mask,

"Erik..." He smiled and opened his mouth and the voice that she had fallen in love with came out,

_Never knew I could feel like this _

_Like I've never seen the sky before _

_I want to vanish inside your kiss _

_Every day I love more and more _

_Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings _

_Telling me to give you everything _

_Seasons may change, winter to spring _

_But I love you until the end of time _

_Come what may _

_Come what may _

_I will love you until my dying day_

He walked up to her and held out his hands, which she took them and smiled at him while he continued,

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place _

_Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace _

_Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste _

He ran his hands up to her face as he looked into those capturing green eyes. She put her hands on both of his as she closed her eyes and fell into his world of music,

_And there's no mountain too high _

_No river too wide _

_Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side _

_Storm clouds may gather _

_And stars may collide _

_But I love you (I love you) until the end of time _

_Come what may _

_Come what may _

_I will love you until my dying day _

_Oh, come what may, come what may _

_I will love you, I will love you _

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place _

He began to twirl her as they began to waltz around. There was laughter coming from both of them and after a while they slowed down as he drew her into his arms and he whispered the last words as he leaned in,

_Come what may _

_Come what may _

_I will love you until my dying day... _

He kissed her passionately as she ran her fingers through his hair. When they parted she smiled as her eyes twinkled with happiness. She ran her hand down his right side of his face and stopped when she reached the tip of his mask. She took it off and tossed it lightly on her bed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you...." She whispered as she leaned in and kissed the deformed side of his mouth. He readjusted his head and covered her lips with his once more. The lovers then went over to her bed. Erik laid her down as he smiled and looked her in the eyes,

"Tonight will be a night you will never forget."

A/N: So, what did you think? I hoped you liked it! Here's a head up, the next chapter will hold a highly anticipated love scene. So be prepared if you don't really like them. I will try to be classy with it since some people tend to rush their fic and then go on forever with their raunchy sex scene. Please send me reviews, they are what keep me writing! And please send me any ideas you may have so that I can try to incorporate them in my fanfiction. See you next chapter!


	10. Author's Note

due to computer malfunctions, I will not be able to update for a long time. My internet connection was removed! but I will try to update soon! Love you all and don't give up on me!


	11. The Music Genius is An Actor

February 14, 2005- I'M BACK! Happy Valentine's Day everyone! So, as some of you know, my computer crashed and so I had to reformat it. I ended up losing EVERYTHING that was not previously installed in the computer. So for once in its life since I purchased it, the computer was as clean as a whistle. And since it was reformatted, I lost the icon to my internet. I call my internet provider, and I had to wait a week for the disk they have to send me to install it. Then it turns out that the accounts that were under that internet service, was migrated to AOL. The funny thing is, I could have been updating a long time ago! Geez, you can never find go help these days! And don't worry, I'll try to update Daddy Dearest and A Pirate's Love is Eternal soon! Now on with the thank yous:

Countess Vladislaus Dragu- Tell me about it, I hate computers sometimes too! Thanks for your review by the way! And the answer to your question is that I really didn't notice that until after I posted the fifth chapter and I was watching Moulin Rogue. Then it hit me, I had subconsciously adopted the idea without even noticing that I did. I'm glad you like my story!

k-sensei- Aww! I am so touched! I am glad you like my story! Thanks for reviewing!

daygonna- Thanks for reviewing, for your loyalty, and for your sympathy, I am glad that you still like my story! Who knows, the ending will be a mystery and tragic too...hmmm...

Phantom Ange- I love that song too! By the way, I reviewed your story and I love it. Sorry I didn't get to review it sooner, my computer was being unbearable! Thanks for your reviews!

jencogmatic- thanks for your review! I'll try to slow it down just for you!

Sumi-chan The Great- thanks for your review! No, they are not the people Erik killed. I just wanted freaky people in a scene!

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- thanks for the review, and I know that it has been frustrating waiting me to update, so thanks for putting up with that!

Galasriniel- Thanks for your review, and just for you I'm going to tell you what happens. Erik and Emily will...oops look at the time! I'd better get this thing going! Lol. just kidding. Keep reading and you'll find out soon enough.

On with...

Chapter 11

Emily stared into his eyes; She could see the passion in them as he looked at her body, surveying every little detail of her curves and other feminine places. She caressed his face with both of her hands as she trailed kisses down his right side of his face. Her hands then traveled down his face down to his neck where his necktie was. With a skillful hand, she untied it and carelessly threw it on the floor. He felt his knees weaken at the thought of finally achieving his dream of actually feeling the joys of the flesh. He had hoped that Christine would have been the one, but... wait a minute, what was he thinking? This was the woman he loved, not Christine. He quickly erased the thought of the young beauty he once knew as Mademoiselle Daae and replaced it with the image of Emily, his one and only true love. Without wasting another moment, he leaned in and kissed her tenderly, while his masculine hands travled down her back and began to undo her dress. When he finally reached the end of the dress's zipper, he let his hands travel up to her sholders as he began to pull the sleeves off of her arms. With a final tug, the dress fell down to the ground, revealing a very trimmed body in undergarments. Erik broke the kiss as he saw that Emily's hands were trembling as she began to work her way down to his shirt, trying to unbutton it, but having great trouble. Smiling, Erik helped her undo his shirt and took it off once he finished, revealing a muscular chest. Emily hesitatingly raised her hands and gently placed them on his chest. He closed his eyes and began to enjoy the feeling immensely. She began to trail butterfly kisses on his lips as she began to gently massage his chest. A low moan escaped from his mouth and he began to lose all inhibitions as his arousal began to take over...

Emily woke up in his arms, surprised for a moment that what had happened. Was it a dream? She looked up at Erik's sleeping figure. He seemed content as deep breaths going in and out of his body. Still asleep, he nuzzled closer to her. She kissed his lips lightly and tried to go to sleep, but she could not do so. She quietly got out of bed without disturbing him, put a robe on, and went over to her clothes to get dressed. A voice stopped her,

"And where do you think you're going" She turned around and saw Erik sitting up in bed, and looking at her in mild, yet playful curiousity. Emily blushed, as she looked at him,

"I need to go to see Messieurs André and Firmin, to see if we have a new production to get ready for." Erik slapped his forehead,

"Damn! I forgot to tell you that I sent them a new script and music for the next play you and the rest of the Opera Populaire are going to perform" She hopped up and down excitedly,

"What is the play about Erik" He looked into her eyes and saw the excitement in them. He couldn't help but be excited about it too,

"Well, it's called L'Ange, it's about a mother and a daughter who are forced to become prostitutes when the only man of the house dies. Later on they are hired to satisfy a rich man with a son, and the son and the young female prostitute fall in love." Erik smiled as he saw Emily's eyes widen. Emily's eyes twinkled,

"Oh, Erik I love it" She smiled"Who gets what part" He cocked an eyebrow as he told her playfully,

"You'll have to find out when you go talk to them" She looked at him pleadingly,

"Erik" He shook his head, showing that he was set in his ways. She ran over to the bed and leapt on top of him. The two of them laughed joyfully and but they stop as soon as Erik put his hand on her cheek. He traced his finger down her cheek and lips. He hungrily went after her lips and then parted after a long while of tongues intertwining,

"I love you." He said breathlessly. She nuzzled close to him and sighed happily. She smiled,

"I love you more." She got off of him and grabbed his hand, pulling him up of the bed"Come now, let's get dressed and after I talk to the two gentlemen, we can go do something together." Erik practically cringed at the thought of him going out into public. Didn't Emily understand that he was more comfortable lurking in the shadows? They got dressed and they walked out hand in hand. They got many bewildered stares and many people gasped, but Emily made sure to ignore them. Erik on the other hand, could not help but to look at the people in the eyes to see if they had the courage to say something insulting out loud. There was complete silence as if they had heard his thoughts. Emily sighed at the ignorance and ruthlessness of the people. Could they not see what a wonderful person Erik truly was. She looked at him and he returned the gaze. His white mask jumped out at her. So that's what it was, their eyes were drawn to the mask. But, even without it on, he would still be ridiculed and discriminated against. She sighed and shook the thought out of her head. Erik looked at her questioningly,

"What is it, dearest" She sighed,

"Please don't get me started about these narrow-minded people who keep staring at you" He smiled at her anger. Finally, he had someone who truly cared about his feelings. He brought up the hand he was holding and kissed it,

"Don't worry, they do not bother me anymore." They reached the door to the backstage area. He waited outside as she entered the stage area and went towards Messieurs André and Firmin. As always they were arguing about some "junk" business or as Monsieur Andre liked to put it"scrap metal" business. They stopped arguing when they saw Emily approaching. Monsieur André smiled,

"Ah, there you are Emily! here is your script for L'Ange. And I am happy to say that you will play Angeline, the young female prostitute." Emily's heart leapt,

"Thank you Messieurs, you are really too kind. May I ask who is playing the other roles" Monsieur André responded,

"Carlotta will play, Aminata the mother prostitute, Christine and Meg will play July and Cosette, the Angeline's fellow prostitute friends. Piagani will play George, the master of the house, and we're not sure who will play, Phillipe, George's son."

"Well, how many rehearsals do we have until we perform this production" Emily asked. André and Firmin laughed nervously as Firmin answered,

"A week after tomorrow's first rehearsal." Emily looked at them speechlessly,

"That is not a lot of time" The three of them stood in silence as they faced this dilemma.

"I can do it." They turned around and saw Erik coming into view. The two men looked bewildered at the sight of the "Phantom of the Opera" Emily nodded vigorously,

"Yes, he would be perfect! Please let him do it" The two men looked at each other. After what seemed like an eternity, they both slowly nodded yes. The two lovers thanked the two men and left them. They decided to go celebrate the good news of actually getting to be together on stage sharing their gift of music with the rest of France.

A/N: So what did you think? I hoped you liked this chapter! Please send me reviews on what you think, they're what keep me going! See you next chapter!


	12. Laughter and Tears

February 21,2005- Okay, sorry it took such a long time to write this chapter, but a lot of stuff kept me busy. And due to this I may only get to update on the weekends. But I might get probition from my parents next week due to grades... Anyway on with the thank yous!

sakura-sweeti- Thank you so much! I am glad you like the last chapter! please keep reviewing!

Sethiel-Undomiel- I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming!

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- I'm glad you liked it! I'm sorry I had to cut the sex scene short, but I got to stay true to the rating! Please keep reviewing!

Mercia Constantine- Thanks for your review! Is Erik really out of character? I don't think we do. But It's kind of hard to tell since we never see him get really romantic with Christine or any woman at all! But I'm glad you still like the story anyway! Please keep reviewing.

Leah Day- Hey there! haven't heard from you in a long time! I guess it is a bit rushed but I just go with the flow when the ideas come to my head. I'll try to really stretch it out. Please keep reviewing!

Phantom Ange- I'm glad that you liked my sex scene, it was hard to write and keep it under the rating. I'm glad you liked Erik not killing someone just so he could take the part. By the way, I'm still waiting for a new chapter for your story, my dear! ;) Please keep reviewing!

Countess Vladislaus Dragu- I'm glad you like the story! Please keep reviewing!

Chapter 12

The two young lovers went down into Erik's lair and prepared the table. Emily grabbed two glasses and put them on the table. He looked at them and grabbed them putting them back telling her, "Now my dear, this is a celebration! Bring out the wine glasses!" He grabbed the wine glasses and set them on the table. He randomly bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be right back, I have to go get something." He disappeared out of the room only to return a few moments later with a bottle of champagne. Emily could only grin as he winked at her and popped the top off of the champagne. He poured her a glass and gave it to her. She took it and waited for him to serve himself a glass. When he finished pouring his glass, he raised his up and smiled, " To L'Ange. To us." She smiled as they clicked their glasses together,

"I'll drink to that." They sipped on their drinks and began to chat about anything they could think of. Emily then noticed that she was the only one who was talking for a long period of time. She looked at Erik who had his hands on his face. She put her hand on his shoulder, "Erik?" He looked up at her with his beautiful eyes in surprise. He looked like he had been lost in thought. She could only look at him with questions in her eyes. She put her hand on his forehead,

"Are you sick, my love?" He shook his head slowly,

"No dearest. I am just tired." She grabbed his hand and lead him to his bed. She helped him take off his coat and tucked him in,

"I want you to rest. I'll be going into town and doing some errands. I'll be back before the sun goes down." Erik began to get up,

"I want to go with you." She pushed him gently back on the bed,

"No, Erik. You look extremely tired. Now I want you to get some rest." She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips, "I love you." She whispered Erik's mouth parted slightly as sleep began to claim him,

"I love you too..." She smiled at him and left him there. She returned to her room and grabbed her emerald cloak and bag of money. She turned around to look at herself in the mirror, and saw that the management had not replaced the old one. She turned away and started heading for the Theater's stables. She waved hello to her coworkers on her way down there. When she got there she saw a rather large man sleeping in a chair. Emily felt rather sorry to wake him, but she had to get to town. She cleared her throat, making the large man shoot up off the chair. His eyes looked frightened for a moment but they softened when he saw that it was only Emily,

"Ah, mademoiselle...how may I help you?" She smiled, "Monsieur, I need to go into town, please." She handed him some of the coins in her bag. He nodded and disappeared into the stalls only to return a few moments with a beautiful black horse. He gave her the reins, "Here you are mademoiselle, may you have a safe journey." She thanked him for his kind words. She got on the horse and clicked her tongue. The horse began to gallop off into the town. When it got there after half an hour, she parked it in front of a small building with a sign that said, _Doctor_. She stood at the door and sighed. She felt bad about lying to Erik about going to do some "errands" but she had to find out what was wrong with her. She couldn't ignore it anymore, she had to bring peace to this anxiousness. With a deep intake of breath, she opened the door and entered the building. The little building had white walls with lavish paintings giving them life. She saw a young woman sitting at the desk. She smiled when Emily approached her,

"Bonjour Mademoiselle!"

"Bonjour!"

"May I have your name please?" She pulled out a pen and a form to fill out.

"Yes, it's Emily de les Anges." The nurse looked up a her with a mildly shocked face,

"Emily de les Anges? You mean you were in _La Gardienne_?" Emily nodded slowly as the young woman let out a small gasp, "I went to go see you on opening night! I loved it!"

Emily smiled politely, but she secretly wished that the young woman would hurry up and fill out her form. The young woman seemed to understand her and speedily went through the form. When she finished, she looked up at Emily, "There," she said as she made the final pen stroke on the form, "Mademoiselle de les Anges, if you will sit down over there, I will call you when the doctor is ready to see you." Emily thanked her and went to where she was told to sit. She glanced at the clock, which read a quarter to five. She sat there and looked down at her lap, wishing for the minutes to go by quickly when all of a sudden a familiar surprised voice,

"Emily?" She looked up to see Christine coming at her, with a very big smile on her face. She stood up and Emily threw her arms around the other female, "I've got some wonderful news!" Emily looked at her with a cocked eyebrow,

"Well, what is it?" Christine could only smile at Emily's eagerness. The raven haired woman nudged her gently on the shoulder, "Well, come on, out with it!" She saw tears coming to Christine's eyes,

"I'm pregnant!" Emily's eyes widened, as she gave out a shout of joy and tears came flowing down her face. The two women hugged. When they pulled away from each other, tears still trailing down her face, Emily looked at her, "Does Raoul know?" Christine shook her head,

"He only knew that I was coming to the doctor for a routine check-up. He wanted to go with me, but something came up and he had to attend to that first." Emily could only smile as she exclaimed,

"Oh Christine, you, a mother! Can you just imagine it?" The two women giggled as they wiped their tears away. The mother-to-be looked at Christine,

"And what are you doing here, Emily?" The other young woman's heart stopped. Should she really tell Christine the real reason she was there? After a moment's pause, she decided that she should not worry her; besides, Christine had a lot to stress about with the impending arrival of her first child,

"I'm here for a check out too." The two women laughed at the possibility of Emily coming out of the doctor's office and announcing that she too was pregnant. She put her hands up,

"No, I'm afraid not. I don't think Erik and I are really ready for a child." Christine smiled at her,

"Oh Emily, I'm really happy that you changed Erik, he really needed somebody like you." She reached out and grabbed Emily's hand, "Speaking of having a baby, I want you and Erik to be the baby's godparents." Emily opened her mouth in shock,

"Christine, I- What would Raoul say about Erik being the baby's godfather? I mean, after what happened..." Christine smiled and squeezed her hand,

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that, now what do you think about being a godmother?" Emily smiled and squeezed Christine's hand,

"I would love to." The two women looked at each other as they thought of a small child running around the doctor's office for his or her check up. The nurse who worked at the desk came out and walked over to the two women,

"I am sorry to interrupt, but Mademoiselle de les Anges, the doctor will see you now." Emily looked at Christine anxiously but her hand was given a squeeze as her friend whispered,

"Good luck!" The nurse smiled at her as Emily stood up,

"Right this way, please." She lead her to the back of the building where there was a small room with two chairs in the room and a small bed. The nurse stood at the doorway and said, "I will be back with the doctor shortly." Emily nodded as she meekly whispered,

"Thank you." The young nurse smiled as she closed the door behind her. As Emily sat there by herself a wave of fears swallowed her up. What if there was something seriously wrong with her? What would she do? What would she tell her friends? And Erik? She sighed as she put her face to her hands,

_Please God, let everything be okay_...

At that moment, the nurse came back with the doctor. He was a tall, willowy man with red hair and freckles on his face, he seemed to be around the age of twenty nine. He wore a pleasant smile as he extended his hand to shake hers,

"Mademoiselle de les Anges, I am Doctor Jean-Phillippe Badeau. Now, what seems to be the problem?" Emily looked at him and then at the nurse,

"Doctor, can I tell you something?" He nodded as he looked at her,

"Of course Mademoiselle." She looked at him,

"But you have to promise that neither you or the nurse will not tell any of my friends, or my boyfriend if they ask you why I was here." The doctor and nurse looked at her curiously. They looked at each other as the mutual question shone in their eyes. Doctor Badeau then looked at her again for another long moment, but he opened his mouth,

"All right, I give you my word that I or Nurse Barret will not tell a single soul."

Emily sighed as she began to tell them about all those times she coughed up blood. She told them that she felt like her lungs were on fire whenever the episodes where about to happen. The doctor looked at her gravely. He then insisted that he do a couple of exams on her. He lead her to the bed and for what seemed like an eternity, he began to do the exams on her. He listened to her lungs, heart told her to cough a couple of times. After three hours the hold her to wait outside. She waited out in the waiting room pacing around frantically. She did not like the looks on Doctor Badeau and Nurse Barret had on their faces. Perhaps they were just listening intently to what she was saying. The nurse came out and looked at her, "Doctor Badeau, will speak to you now." With a deep intake of breath, she walked once more into the room where Nurse Barret walked over to stand next to Doctor Badeau. He told Emily to sit down,

"Mademoiselle, there is no easy way to tell you this..." He took a deep breath, "But I'm afraid that you have Pulmonary Edema. It's a fancy way of saying swelling of the lungs. Basically it's what's causing you to cough up blood." Emily chuckled dryly,

"So, what are you saying?" He looked Nurse Barret and then looked at her,

"Emily," He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder, "You're dying." Tears began to stream down her face. He squeezed her shoulder, "I can give you this medicine to ease some of the symptoms." He handed her a bottle with a blue liquid in it, "take a teaspoon when you feel an episode." She nodded,

"What other symptoms will accompany this disease? He sighed,

"Well, there will be profuse sweating, restlessness, anxiety and shortness of breath." She nodded as she stood up,

"Well, thank you for everything doctor. I best be going now." The two of them shook hands as he told her,

"I wish you the best, Mademoiselle. Call me if you need anything." She smiled,

"I will." She turned to Nurse Barret, "There will be a production in about a week called L'Ange. I hope you will come to see her." The Nurse gave her a small, soft smile,

"I'll be there." Emily left them, walking quickly to her horse. She grabbed the reins of her horse. She noticed that it was dark. She then remembered that she promised to have been home before the sunset. She got on the horse and rode off into the night, to the Opera Populaire. She began to sob quietly as the impact of what happened at Doctor Badeau's office sank in. As the horse galloped on, Emily felt a wave of sickness hit her. Her chest tightened as she tried to get in a breath. She felt her eyes roll into the back of her head as she fell of the horse and hit the ground, not moving when her head made contact with the ground. The horse kept on galloping without a rider.

In his lair, Erik sat in one of the chairs with the table set with his finest china and candles that were almost burned down to the candlestick. He blew out the candles and sat at the table, thinking to himself. He knew that it was too good to be true. A woman could never love him along with his hideous face. _When she meant going into town for errands she meant_... He laughed maniacally to himself. Ah, what a fool he had been! He went to the window to get some air. He saw a horse galloping towards the stables, but what struck him as odd was that there was no rider on it. He saw the large man in charge of the stables run up to the horse and look around in panic. He ran towards the Theater and a few minutes later, he saw Christine, Raoul and the man run towards the horse. The man gestured wildly with his hands and Erik heard Christine scream,

"NO!" She began to cry as she fell into Raoul's arms. Erik's curiosity peaked when he saw Raoul give her a kiss, got on the horse and rode off into the night. Erik ran downstairs and went out the door of the Theater. He saw Christine sitting on the floor, sobbing,

"Christine!" She looked at him, got up and rushed into his arms as she sobbed harder,

"Erik!" She tried to catch her breath,

"It's horrible...Oh God!" he looked at her,

"What's horrible, what is it?" She cried horrible,

"You know that a horse came galloping up to the theater without a rider, right?" Erik nodded,

"Yes." She began to cry harder,

"Well, Monsieur Smith said that he let Emily borrow that horse a couple of hours later..." Erik's heart stopped as his mind cried out,

_Oh, my god... _

He left Christine alone and ran towards the stables as he grabbed one of the other horses, got on it and rode off into the night to find the woman of his dreams. Madame Giry ran towards Christine, followed by Monsieur André, Monsieur Firmin, Carlotta, Piagani, and Meg. Madame Giry grabbed her shoulders, "Child what is wrong?"

"Emily is missing, the horse Monsieur Smith's horse came back with no rider on it." A gasp spread through the group. Then everyone grabbed each other's hands and did something they always did when they were about to go on stage and perform or when one of their family members, meaning the cast, was sick or was going through a hard ordeal. They prayed.

A/N: So, what did you think? I hoped you really liked it since it took me an unusually long time to write it! Please send me reviews, they are what keep me going! And what is going to happen next chapter? Will Erik and Raoul find Emily? Will Emily be ok? You'll just have to read the next chapter, won't you?


	13. Little White Lies

February 26, 2005- Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I had many things to do. Plus not many people are reviewing anymore which seems to tell me that I should stop writing! Lol. Hopefully my friends will review sooner or later! On with the thank yous:

Countess Vladislaus Dragu- Thanks for reviewing, here's the next chapter, hope you like it!

daygonna- Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked the last chapter...and you'll have to read the rest of the story, won't you?

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx: Geez, I had no idea everyone loved Emily so much, especially since she is a made up character of mine! Anyway thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 13

The wind was whipping against Erik's face as he kicked the horse's sides, urging the horse to move faster. He had to get to her, before... He shook his head, getting the morbid thought out of his head and he started focusing on the road ahead. His eyes focused on Raoul who was on his horse, galloping at full speed. He glanced back and spotted Erik. He motioned for him to quicken his pace, and Erik obeyed. In other circumstances, he would have ignored him but now was not the time. He clicked his tongue and squeezed the sides of the horse harder, causing it to run at full speed. He pulled at the reins making the horse ride up on Raoul's left side, "The road splits in two directions, so we'll each have to follow one." Raoul shouted above the noise of the horses' hooves. He tossed a revolver to Erik, "If you find her, shoot a signal into the air. I'll come and find you. I have a revolver too and I'll do the same if I find her." Erik nodded as Raoul gave him a thumbs up. Raoul rode followed the pathway that went to the right and Erik followed the one that was on the left.

Erik rode on for hours with his hope dimming with each minute that passed. He felt panic rise within him as his chest began to rise up and down rapidly. The cold weather made his body shiver but he ignored it as he pressed on. After three hours of searching, he came up with no clues to Emily's whereabouts. He knew the area pretty well, he came here many times before. This was nowhere near Paris, but Erik assumed that she departed the city when it was beginning to get dark. Maybe, she had gotten lost. He stopped his horse and stayed there quietly as he strained to hear the sound he wanted to hear the most: A gunshot.

On the other pathway, Raoul ran his horse until the horse stopped on its own due to exhaustion. "Come on, don't quit on me on, boy." Raoul urged. He decided to give the reins a jerk, but the horse refused to budge. Frustrated by the horse's stubbornness, Raoul got off the horse, mumbling, "Fine then, I shall find her on foot." he pulled the horse along by its reins. He looked around for any possible movement that might be suspicious. His eyes then moved to the front , gazing at the road up ahead once more. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at what seemed to be a huge rock in the middle of the road but, something seemed very strange about that object. He began to run towards the rock as a thought occurred to him. He heard the hooves of the horse closely behind him. When he was close enough, he noticed that it was not an object, but a person. He dropped the reins and put his hands on the body. He closed his eyes and prepared his mind for what he was about to see. He flipped the body over and stifled a cry of relief of finding her, and one of worry. There laid Emily, her face was caked in dry blood from a deep gash in her forehead. There was a trail of dry blood coming from one of the corners of her mouth. "Emily?" Raoul whispered. There came no response from her so he got up off the floor and went to grab the revolver he had. He pointed it straight in the air and fired. The sound echoed in the air. He stood there waiting for a moment, hoping that Erik would be coming. He took off his coat and placed it on her to keep her warm. As soon as he got up, Raoul felt many pairs of eyes watching him. He looked around cautiously, with his finger on the trigger of the revolver. Then the pairs of eyes became visible in the night as a pack of wolves came out of the shadows. They licked their lips hungrily at the two delicious pieces of meat in front of them. Raoul aimed his revolver at what he thought was the leader of the pack. He pulled the trigger. To his disappointment, the revolver was out of ammunition. They were going to die. One of the wolves leapt at Raoul who covered himself as best as he could. But before the wolf could even touch him, a caped figure with a white mask concealing his face, "Erik!" Raoul shouted in relief as the man pulled out his sword,

"Stay back, I'll hold them." wolves began to leap at him. Erik's sword became a blur as he moved it quickly, slicing any creature that came to close to him. After he finished, he wiped the bloody sword with his gloved hand. He silently went over to Emily's side and knelt down next to her. He picked her up and held her in his arms as he tenderly touched her face. He swallowed a sob as he looked at her bloodied face. Raoul stayed silent. He felt awkward at seeing Erik look so helpless. Finally, he got the courage to say something,

"Erik, let's take her home. We can call the doctor and he'll take a look at her." Erik nodded as he picked up Emily and placed her on his horse. They rode off to the Theater as quickly as the horses could take them. When they got there they saw the whole theater company waiting for them. Christine lead the group in surrounding Erik as he carried Emily and took her to her room. There were many tears as Emily's friends saw her all bloodied and motionless. Christine, Meg, Firmin, Andre, Madame Giry, Raoul, Erik, Carlotta, and Piagani pushed the rest of the group back as they went into the room and locked the door. Erik placed Emily on her bed and sat next to her. Madame Giry grabbed a bowl from the bathroom and filled it with water. She grabbed a nearby towel and went to Emily's other side. She wet the towel with water and began to clean Emily's face and wound. Erik saw a tear trickle down the older woman's face as she began to dry the younger woman's face gently. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. She looked up and smiled at him. Nobody could truly understand the bond that the two of them had. She considered him her son and has never seem him as happy as he was when Emily was around him. She also came to care for Emily very much, and now she looked so helpless... Madame Giry could only close her eyes and let the tears flow down. Even Carlotta shed a few tears for her rival.

_Maybe, I should be a little nicer to her when she recovers... _The diva thought to herself. She nodded as she secretly promised to do so. Piagani came over and kissed her on the cheek and gave her a smile. She smiled back at him, "I love you Ubaldo." He kissed her again in response. Meg walked up to her mother,

"Mama, will she be okay?" Madame Giry looked up at her daughter had a tear-streaked her face. She nodded,

"Everything will be okay, my dear." Raoul looked at Madame Giry,

"I will call the doctor." Madame Giry looked at him,

"I've already tired calling him when the two of you were looking for Emily. He is out of town, and will not be back for a week." Erik growled at her remark. Madame Giry eyed him. She got up,

"Now if you all will leave the room, I will change Emily's clothes." She pulled Erik away from her and ushered everyone out of the room. She took Emily's cloak, dress and corset and she went to the drawer to get a sleeping gown for her. As gently as possible, Madame Giry moved her body as she tried to put the gown on her. After successfully dressing her, the older woman tucked Emily into the bed and began to clean her wound once more. She went to the bathroom and later returned with a bandage. She wrapped Emily's head with it and later tied a knot on the ends to secure it. She took the young woman's hand and began to whisper,

"Emily, come back to him...He misses you." She began to cry once more, "I miss you too..." she whispered. A moan then filled the older woman's ears. She looked up to see Emily's eyes flutter open slowly. She smiled when she saw Madame Giry,

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Emily whispered. The older woman looked at her and smiled warmly. She leaned over and kissed her forehead. Emily then frowned remembering everything that had happened. She grabbed Madame Giry's hand urgently, "Don't let anybody know what I am about to tell you." The dance instructor looked at her, and her hand was squeezed even harder, "Promise me!" Emily urged. Madame Giry winced as she tried to free her hand,

"All right, I promise." Emily winced in pain as the cut on her forehead throbbed,

"I'm dying..." Madame Giry put her head in her hands and wept. Emily looked away as she too tried to conceal her tears, "Remember, you can't tell anyone...not even Erik. He wouldn't be able to take it." Madame Giry smiled weakly,

"I promise." She got up and was about to walk away when Emily spoke,

"Madame Giry, who found me?"

"Le Viconte de Changy..."

"Well, could you thank him for me?"

"Of course, ma petite ange." She left her and quietly shut the door. Emily began to doze off when Erik came in. Their eyes locked onto each other as Erik went over to her side. He grabbed her hand,

"Are you all right?" She nodded as she looked into his eyes. He kissed her hand as he tearfully whispered,

"I thought I lost you..." She smiled weakly as she kissed his hand,

"When I was in the dark, I could hear your voice singing to me..." She took off his mask wiped away his tears, "Then I knew that I had to come back to you. Erik, you're the one for me, there is no other man for me." Erik smiled tearfully as he leaned in and kissed her lips. He then whispered,

"I love you, you're the only one for me. I wanted to do this tonight at dinner..." He got down on one knee and pulled out a little velvet box, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

Emily, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He opened the box, revealing a large diamond with red rubies surrounding it with a silver band. Emily began to sob hysterically. She should say no so that she wouldn't break his heart. She couldn't bear to leave him alone after she died... Plus, they have only known each other for a couple of weeks! Were they really ready for this big step? She looked at him as he caressed her face, "What's wrong Emily?" She laughed at his worried expression,

"I'm just so happy...I want to be your wife, Erik." He gave a joyful shout as he kissed her. While they kissed passionately, he slipped the ring on her left ring finger.

A/N: So what did you think? I hope you aren't disappointed. I will try to update sooner, but I can't make any promises! Please Review, it's what keeps me going!


	14. First Rehearsal of L'Ange

March 7, 2005- Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to update, but school is being a big old fat pain! The song I put in here is Let Me Go by 3 Doors Down. I know it doesn't make much sense putting it in the scene, but it inspired me to write this chapter. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Now on with the thank yous:

dancingrose32- Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter. I'm glad you like my story! Please keep reviewing!

Destiny'sCurse- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story and keep reviewing

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Thanks for your wonderful review! It means a lot to me!

Phantom Ange- I'm not telling you what happens, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Chapter 14

Emily slowly awoke as the sun started rising and sunlight shone through her eyelids. Half asleep, she extended her arm tenderly at the other half of the bed, expecting that Erik would be there. All she felt were the cool sheets of her bed. She looked up, squinting her eyes as they readjusted to the bright sunlight that filled her room. She frowned when she saw that Erik was indeed not there. She got out of the bed and stretched. Sharp pains shot through her body. She decided that she would not ride a horse for a while. She grabbed her brush and began to brush her hair. The long raven locks began to shine in the sunlight. She put the brush down and headed toward the door but stopped when she heard a voice, "I do not think that it is such idea getting up and going to rehearsal so soon after your accident, Mademoiselle. You should be resting in your bed." Emily frowned as she turned around,

"Erik, you are treating me like a child. I would like you to know that I am old enough to make my own decisions!" She knew what she said was harsh, but she hated the thought that everyone would keep such a close eye on her. She looked up into his eyes. Erik's mouth curved up into a smile as he took her into his arms, "Come now, you are getting angry for no reason..." She pulled away from him,

"Getting angry for no reason?" She laughed dryly, "Really? Here I am, a day after my accident, willing to work and you dare to come into my room and tell me what I should do?" A thought suddenly occurred to her, "Ah, yes, I see it now. You don't want me to go so that you can be with your precious Christine." Erik's eyes grew cold and malicious,

"I would watch my tongue..." Emily could only laugh coldly,

"Ahh, yes go to your precious Mademoiselle Daae...or should I say, Madame Christine de Changy?" Emily felt the tension grow between them. She knew what she was doing. What she was saying was cruel, but she could no longer be with him. He should not have to suffer after she was gone. It would be too much on her soul if they had married and shortly after their wedding day, she had died. She loved him too much to put him through that, "She never loved you...she never will. How can someone so beautiful love a monster such as you?" She saw his eyes widen at the last comment.

_Forgive me...my love..._

Emily slipped the engagement ring off her finger and threw it at Erik, screaming, "Give this to her, you never loved me! You only loved Christine..." She felt her heart breaking when she saw tears going down Erik's face, "When you made love to me, you weren't thinking of me... you were thinking of Christine..." She turned around and started sobbing. She couldn't take this anymore. She looked behind her to see Erik's eyes burning into her own. He could not believe what she was saying. She had betrayed him. He frowned as he left her there and slammed the door behind him. There stood Emily, all by herself. It was then and there that Emily finally realized how much she truly loved him. She shook her head and spoke out loud,

"What's done is done. I can't go back now." She nodded as she repeated the last part in a whisper, "I can't go back now..." She sighed as she headed towards the door and let herself out. She walked by herself, reflecting on her life. It seemed that the moments where she was happiest were when she was with her parents, or with Erik... She shook her head and walked faster. When she got to the theater, She smiled awkwardly when Messieurs André and Firmin walked up to her with happy faces,

"Why my dear, you should be resting!" Monsieur Firmin said. Emily smiled genuinely,

"Messieurs, we have exactly six days until performance. Although I am still very weak, I cannot bear to miss a single rehearsal." Monsieur André smiled,

"Such a dedicated worker!" Monsieur Firmin nodded,

"Indeed!" Emily walked up to the stage, where she was handed her script. She went over her lines and noticed that she had a lot of them. She felt eyes on her. She turned to see Erik staring at her with cold and angry eyes. She blushed as she turned away. Monsieur Andre spoke up,

"Attention everyone!" The theater grew silent, "I want everyone who is not in the first scene to clear the stage." The dancers and most of the cast got off as the greatest production since Il Muto went underway...

Many hours later, Emily stood on the stage by herself rehearsing her newly learned dance moves. She was doing well until a complicated move sent her flying down on her rear end. She moaned in pain. "Maybe you should quit for today." A voice told her. Emily looked up and saw Carlotta walking towards her. Emily sighed,

"Carlotta, I really don't have any time for-" Carlotta held up her hands,

"No, please, I've come to make peace." She smiled as she sat next to a surprised Emily, "I've noticed that your heart truly wasn't in the rehearsal today." Emily's head hung down a little as Carlotta continued to look at her, "That's not like you. You're one of the few people who actually works their ass off, and gives two hundred percent." Carlotta smiled once more, "I know that I have not made things easy for you, but I have to admit that after today, you have truly earned my respect and admiration." Emily looked up at her,

"I have done nothing worthy of respect." Carlotta shook her head,

"You coming here to work so soon after your accident surely earns respect." She grabbed Emily's hand and squeezed it, "Don't undermine yourself. It's the worst thing you can do to yourself." Emily laughed sadly,

"I've already done something that made me lose respect for myself." Carlotta sighed,

"Then fix it!" The raven haired beauty shook her head,

"This can't be fixed." Carlotta then smiled,

"How do you know if you haven't tried?" Emily looked at her and smiled. She nodded as she ran off to her bedroom to change into something beautiful for him. On entering her dressing room, she saw something that made her heart stop. On her bed was a beautiful blood red rose with a black necktie tied around it in a bow. In the center of a bow, was her engagement ring. A letter with his famous seal was next to it. She opened the letter,

_I still love you._

_Erik_

She gasped as tears ran down her face. She threw the note down, grabbed her rose took off the ring put it on her left ring finger, put the rose in water, and ran towards his lair.

_One more kiss could be the best thing_

_One more lie could be the worst_

_And all these thoughts of never resting_

_You know not something I deserve_

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She had to make this right. She loved Erik too much to let him go. They had to be together, they just had to! They both were incredibly happy when they were in each other's company. How incredibly stupid she was in thinking that she could not be with him! She got to the entrance of the underground lake. She saw the boat, but she knew that she couldn't steer it to save her life so she jumped in and began to swim as fast as she could

_In my head there's only you now_

_This world falls on me_

_In this world there's real and make believe_

_This seems real to me_

Erik sat there in his throne, moping. He hoped that she had gotten the rose...and his message. He sat there waiting for her to appear. He thought of her beautiful face, but frowned when he realized something. Over the last day he noticed that she seemed hauntingly pale. It seemed that the color had been sucked out of her face. He smiled as he thought of her naked on her bed. She seemed like a piece of artwork. He frowned as he cursed himself for thinking of her.

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand_

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_So let me go, let me go_

Her muscles ached as she swam for what seemed like hours. She tried to prepare a way to explain herself. Her odd behavior was not to hurt him, but to protect him. She felt her arms growing heavy with exhaustion, but she coaxed herself to push harder. She saw candlelight up ahead.

_I dream ahead to what I hope for_

_And I turned my back on lovin' you_

_How can this love be a good thing_

_And I know what I'm going through_

She reached his lair and saw him sitting in his throne. She got out of the water and slowly walked up the stairs. He turned around and saw her.

_In my head there's only you now_

_This world falls on me_

_In this world there's real and make believe_

_This seems real to me_

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand_

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_So let me go, just let me go_

_Let me go_

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly. He saw that she was sopping wet and shivering from the cold. She felt her teeth shattering,

"I've come to ask for your forgiveness..." He could only laugh,

"How can something so beautiful love a monster like me?" He asked in a mocking tone. She cringed at his statement. He had remembered what she had said. She cursed herself. She sighed,

"Erik...I didn't mean it." She ran towards him and flung her arms around him.

_No matter how hard I try_

_I can't escape these things inside_

_I know, I know_

_But all the pieces fall apart_

_You will be the only one who knows_

_Who Knows! _

"I only love you Erik. I didn't mean what I said... I am a fool!" She kissed his lips. He responded by sucking on her lip. She ran his fingers through his hair.

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand_

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

_So let me go, just let me go_

_You love me but you don't_

_You love me but you don't_

_You love me but you don't know who I am_

They broke the kiss and smiled at each other. Erik ran a finger down her jaw line, "So, does this mean you want to be my wife?" She kissed him once more as she showed him the ring on her finger,

"More than anything." He smiled a charming smile,

"So when we wed a couple of months from now..." Emily cut in,

"Actually dearest I was thinking that maybe we could get married sooner than that..."

"How much sooner, my love?"

"Does tomorrow seem like too soon?"

"Tomorrow!" He exclaimed as he looked down at her smiling face. He could not help but smile back,

_You love me but you don't_

_You love me but you don't_

_You love me but you don't know me..._

"Tomorrow then." He said as he claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss.

A/N: So, what did you think? I hoped you liked it! Now, here's the deal, I haven't been getting reviews from all of my old reviewers, so I'm enacting a new rule: **I will not update unless I get ten reviews for this chapter. **I know, I'm evil, but I've got to know if you're actually paying attention to my story, lol. So when I get my ten reviews, I will try to update as soon as possible. Next chapter will be the wedding! See you next chapter!


	15. With this ring I thee wed

A/N: I know I did not receive 10 reviews but at least you tried right? So I felt touched that you actually got to nine, so I decided to update! Now on with the thank yous:

daygonna- Thanks so much for your review, I'm glad you like the story and I'm glad to hear from you again!

Sethiel-Undomiel- Thanks for your review, I'm glad you like it. I won't answer your question cause in the following final chapters you're going to find out!

dancingrose32- awww, I feel so touched! Thanks for your reviews and here's the next chapter

CutiePie- Thanks for your review! here's the next chapter!

JenisisAngelofMusic- Thank you so much! I am so glad that you like this story, I was about to give up on it, but I'll keep on going for you and everyone else!

Destiny'sCurse- Thanks a lot! I will read and review your stuff when you post it!

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Thanks for your review! I love that song!

cherioxxx- Thanks for your review, I hope you won't be disappointed with the ending, stick around, I'd love to have you!

Phantom Ange- I'll never tell! You'll find out! Thanks for the review!

Chapter 15

Emily awoke with a start. Today was her wedding day. She smiled as she thought of herself walking down the aisle with Erik waiting for her. She had insisted that the wedding take place in the theater so that her whole family could attend the joyous occasion. Now as she sat in her bed, the theater's servants were frantically getting the place set up. So happy was everyone's mood that even Firmin and André allowed everyone to take the day off from practice. So wonderful was Emily's theatrical family that all the details except Emily's wedding dress and accessories were taken care of. She got out of bed and dressed herself. She went down to the stables where Christine and Meg were supposed to meet her. She ran into Erik who embraced her, "Well, mon amié, today is the day we wed. Are you nervous?" She nodded,

"Yes, a little. But I am happier than nervous." She leaned in and kissed him.

"There you are!" The two lovers broke their kiss and turned to see Christine and Meg smiling at them, "Now, Erik you know

that you aren't supposed see the bride until the wedding ceremony. It's bad luck!" She grabbed Emily's wrist and led her to the stables. Before she disappeared out of sight, Emily mouthed "I love you" to Erik, who blew her a kiss. He smiled a small smile before disappearing into his lair, getting ready for the big day.

The three ladies rode off into the city of Paris where they chatted happily about the night that was going to be the most memorable in Emily's life, "You are going to look so beautiful in your dress!" Meg exclaimed as Christine nodded in agreement,

"Now," she moved onto the important details, "The wedding will be around eight o'clock in the evening in the auditorium. Meg, Carlotta and I will be the maid of honor, Jacqueline, you know, the cute little girl with blonde curls, will be the flower girl." Meg nodded,

"And guess who gets to be Erik's Best Man?" She giggled at the thought. Emily looked at her questioningly,

"Who?"

Christine blushed, "Raoul." Emily's jaw dropped to the floor,

"Raoul? As in the Viconte?" The other two women nodded slowly. Emily sat back in disbelief. After the little incident that happened years ago and the two men going at each others' throats, they were now doomed to participate in the wedding together as groom and best man? She cleared her throat,

"Isn't the best man supposed to be the groom's best man?" The two girls nodded again. Christine sighed,

"Erik doesn't have any friends that I know of personally. Don't worry, I made Raoul swear that he wouldn't do anything rash." Meg turned around to look at what was up ahead. She turned back around and smiled at her two friends,

"Mes amies, I do believe we have arrived at our destination." She grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her off the carriage once it stopped, "Come Emily, it's time to go pick out your dress." The three women went arm in arm into a bridal shop.

Erik sighed nervously as he glanced at the clock. It read three o'clock. In exactly five hours, he would no longer be a bachelor. He would have a wife that he would have to care and provide for and maybe in the future...children. His eyes widened. Oh my god, he might have children in the future! He headed for the door when it opened and Raoul came in,

"Where do you think you're going?" Erik growled,

"It's none of your damn business, now get the hell out of my way..." Erik tried to get passed him buy Raoul only stepped in his way deliberately.

"Get out of my way!" Erik hissed. Raoul shook his head,

"No."

"You dare defy me?"

"Listen, in a couple of hours you will be a married man. Now, as your best man and a married man, I can help you go through with this." Erik looked away silently as he internally debated whether or not to trust this man. He had taken Erik's will to live when Raoul proposed to Christine that night on the balcony after Erik had interrupted the production of Il Muto. Erik gritted his teeth as he encountered the painful memories once more. But...they didn't hurt anymore... Erik looked up at Raoul and gave him a small smirk,

"Monsieur Viconte... I'll need some tips to keep the wife happy." Raoul gave a small smile.

A couple of hours later, L'Opera Populaire was bustling with activity as everyone got dressed for the occasion. In Emily's dressing room, Christine and Meg. The two women gushed as they saw Emily in her beautiful white gown. It was strapless with rhinestones decorating the front part. The dress widened at her hips as the skirt reached the ground and her train trailed behind her. Her diamond tiara sat delicately on top of her head. Meg placed the veil over her face as Christine put Emily's white elbow length gloves on. Christine and Meg smiled as they hugged Emily,

"You are going to be so happy Emily." Meg whispered. Christine nodded,

"You are going to be the happiest woman tonight. Enjoy tonight, this is your night." They left her alone in her room, reflecting on her life. A knock on her door caused her to snap back into reality. She leaned her ear against the door,

"Who's there?" A familiar masculine voice replied,

"Emily..." She smiled,

"Erik..." She could feel him smiling on the other side,

"I want to see you Emily." She laughed softly,

"You know the bride and groom can't see each other before the ceremony. It's bad luck!" She heard him growl,

"Fine then." She saw the door open and was about to close it when Erik stuck his hand through the doorway. Emily smiled softly as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tenderly. The two of them kept their hands linked, neither wanting to break the heartfelt contact.

"I love you, Erik."

"I love you, Emily." He smiled,

"You know what makes me happy?" She shook her head,

"No. What?" He smiled seductively,

"Since we won't be having a reception, I don't have to wait to make you my wife." Emily blushed and giggled. Erik's hand slipped from hers, "I have to go. The wardens are here. I will meet you at the altar." She nodded. Carlotta, Meg and Christine slipped in. Carlotta looked out the door to make sure Erik disappeared and was out of sight,

"Come, the wedding is about to begin." Everyone was dressed in their best. The three women gave Emily a thumbs up as they took their turns walking down the aisle with their corresponding partner. Messieurs André and Firmin walked on either side of her. They offered her their arms and she graciously accepted them. Monsieur André spoke,

"Well my dear here we go." They slowly began to walk down the aisle as the wedding march began to play. When she came into Erik's view, he could only gasp at her beauty. If it were even possible, Emily looked even more beautiful than ever before with her virginal dress. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he stood there with his best man and the priest. When she got to the front where everyone could see them. The priest gave her a warm smile and then looked at the two men,

"Who gives this woman to this man?" André and Firmin looked at each other as they answered in unison,

"We do." The onlookers laughed as Emily took Erik's hand. The priest smiled at them,

"Dearly Beloved here we are here to join Erik...uh..." The priest looked at him uneasily, but Erik shook his head, "And Emily de les Anges in holy matrimony." He turned to the ring bearer, "Do you have the rings?" The ring bearer stepped up with the rings on the pillow. Erik grabbed Emily's ring as the priest spoke,

"Erik, I want you to repeat this before you slip the ring on her finger. With this ring, I thee wed." Erik looked into his future wife's eyes,

"With this ring I thee wed." He slipped her ring on her finger. Emily grabbed Erik's ring as the priest spoke,

"Emily, Repeat this before you slip the ring on his finger. With this ring, I thee wed." She smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks,

"With this ring, I thee wed." She slipped the ring onto his finger. Their hands squeezed each others as the priest announced to everyone,

"Ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Erik..." Everyone laughed as they cheered. The priest turned to Erik,

"You may kiss the bride." Erik didn't need to be told twice as he drew Emily in and claimed her lips with his. Everyone came up to greet the newly weds. What they did not notice was a shadow that hung around in the back watching the bride.

_You're going to pay... _The shadow of the figure whispered to himself as he disappeared into the night. The two newly weds thought that this was going to be a blessed life from now on, but they were wrong. Things were about to get worse, much worse.

A/N: So what did you think? I hoped you liked it! I have to tell you that the story is about to end in like 2 or three chapters. So thanks to everyone who reviewed and kept up with the story. **I would like at least six reviews before I update, please!** Hope to hear from you soon!


	16. Wedded Bliss?

A/N: Yay! I got eight reviews! I'm happy! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I was busy. But now since I am on Spring Break, I could probably finish this little fic. But I can't promise anything! ok, now on with the thank yous:

daygonna- Thank you so much, I am glad you like my story! Please keep reviewing!

xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Thanks for reviewing and keep them coming! I don't think Emily would appreciate the fact that you stole her dress! Please keep reviewing!

JenisisAngelofMusic- Thank you for reviewing! And I will try to read it! Please keep reviewing!

Phantom Ange- Thanks for reviewing! and you'll have to find out won't you? Please keep reviewing!

Phantom's Fallen Angel- Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you like the story so far! Please keep reviewing!

dancingrose32- Thanks for reviewing, but you'll have to find out the answer won't you? Please keep reviewing!

Skywind-Thanks for reviewing and here's the new chapter! Please keep reviewing!

Chapter 16

The shadow emerged from the darkness, revealing himself to be a man of about nineteen. He had dark hair and dark eyes. His hand went to his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He took out this lighter and lit the cigarette. He inhaled the smoke and blew it out, surrounding, surrounding himself in smoke. He had a plan. Now that he found her she would suffer the same fate James did. The tip of his cigarette glowed in the night. He reflected on the actions that happened just days ago. His mother's tears as she received the news. His own tears of anger as he too found out the news. Emily had not only betrayed James when she left him, she had betrayed him and his mother too. _Don't worry mon frere...she will suffer the same fate you did. _He threw the cigarette to the ground and put it out. He walked out of the street lamp's light and went towards the town pib. He entered it and sat himself right at the bar. A young woman with curly red hair and a large figure came up to him,

"What can I get ya?" her gray eyes twinkled with a secret playfulness. The man spoke,

"I'll have a beer." The woman nodded as she turned her back to him. After a few moments she turned around with a beer mug filled with the town's best beer. She handed it to him and watched him for a while. He noticed her watching him and looked at her, "What?" he asked, rather pissed off at the fact that he wated to drink his beer in peace. She shrugged her shoulders, ignoring his curtness,

"Nothing, you just look like you're having a long night. That's all." He sighed. Indeed he did feel tired after all those hours of traveling. He nodded,

"I'm not from around here, I just got into town." The woman's eyes lit up,

"Oh a traveler! What are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed,

"I'm on business." He touched the revolver that was in his coat pocket. The young woman gasped as she realized something,

"Goodness me, where are my manners?" My name is Francis." She smiled as she stuck out her hand. He looked at her and noticed that she was very beautiful. He took her hand and brushed his lips against it,

"My name is Dominic. A pleasure, mademoiselle." He noticed her clothing and came to the realization that she was a town whore. He felt his skin heat up as he realized that he did not have a woman in many days. He grabbed her wrist and led her to one of the stalls of the pub's restrooms. Francis did not even make an objection as she was thrown forcefully against the wall. Dominic felt his mind cloud with lust as he lost himself in Francis's moans and giggles...

Erik and Emily laid there in their bed holding each other. They talked about their future together. Erik ran his hand down Emily's cheek, "Once I save some more money, we can move out of this place and get one of our own." She shook her head,

"Don't worry," She grabbed his hand, "My home is where you are." He smiled at her as he leaned in and kissed her. His face then twisted in concern,

"Well then, where are the children going to sleep?" Emily's eyes widened in shock,

"Children?"

"You do want to have children, don't you Emily?" She nodded her head,

"Of course, I wouldn't want anything else except to have a family with you, Erik." He smiled as he ran his hands through her hair,

"Just think of it, little Emilys and Eriks running through the halls..." His voice trailed off. Emily cocked an eyebrow,

"Now wait a minute _Monsieur_, how many little Emilys and Eriks are we talking about here? Erik laughed as she concluded, "Because I'm going to be the one doing whose going to be doing all the pushing." Erik laughed once more as he pulled the covers over them as he replied,

"Then we better get to work!" Emily laughed as he strattled her and began kissing her passionately.

The next day, the whole cast of L'Ange gathered to pracitce once more. Everyone greeted the newly weds and many of the female members tried to get specific details from Emily, who could only giggle and wink at them. Jake, one of the more popular men of the group, spoke loudly,

"Would you look at that fellas? They look as if they're heading towards a shoe sale!" The men laughed as the women glared. Jack ran towards them and then huddled around Emily speaking in a high squeaky voice, "Oh my God, how was it? how was it?" This time everyone laughed at the joke. Erik went over to Emily and put his arms around her. No one had any idea that there was someone standing in the shadows aiming a gun at the young opera star named Emily.

A/N: So what did you think? I hope you're not disappointed. Please review and tell me what you think?


	17. Author's Note

_A/N: Hey! Hope you haven't forgotten about me! Well, I've been really busy, but that doesn't mean that I've given up on the fic. I really am working on it! So, send me a review telling me that you have read this message and tell me that you will wait for me!_


	18. Close Call

_A/N: Hello everyone! Did you miss me? Well, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and being supportive with me finishing my junior year of school and putting off my fanfic. I said that I would finish it in 3 chapters, but I've changed my mind. But, I'm almost finished with the fic anyway. Okay, on with the thank yous:_

_Phantom Ange- Thank you so much for being so supportive! But I am waiting for you to update your stories! Please keep reviewing!_

_Destiny's Curse- Thanks for your review! I want you to let me know when your story is up so that I can review it!_

_xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Thanks for your support! please keep reviewing!_

_reannaremick- Thanks for waiting and for your review! Here it is! Please keep reviewing!_

_Dancingrose32- Thanks for your patience and for your review! Here it is and I hope you're not disappointed! Please keep reviewing!_

_On with..._

Chapter 17

Dominique pulled the trigger as Monsieur André stepped in between Emily and the bullet. The manager fell the the ground screaming in pain and clutching his back as gasps filled the room. Dominique cursed and disappeared into the shadows, hoping that nobody had detected where the bullet came from. Emily held Monsieur André, assuring him that everything would be fine as a dancer went to call the ambulance. The poor unfortunate man moaned in pain as he waited for the ambulance to arrive. After what seemed like an eternity, the ambulance arrived and took Monsieur André, who was accompanied by Monsieur Firmin, to the hospital. Before he left, Monsieur Firmin looked at everyone with a very worried look on his face, "Due to the circumstances, the show will have to be postponed." After the two managers were gone, everyone sadly looked over at one another and agreed that they should take it easy for the rest of the day. They all headed for their separate dressing rooms and most of them sat in their rooms wondering what to do.

Although everyone had already left, Emily stood their frozen in place. The bullet was meant for her. If Monsieur André had not moved in front of her... She closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to a body. She put her hands around the hands she knew belonged to Erik. He put his face in her hair and closed his eyes. She could have been the one who was taken to the hospital. He could have become a widower... He opened his eyes at that last thought. She was hanging limply in his arms as her sobs got louder with each tear that fell. He slowly sank to the floor of the stage and let her weep in his arms. He stroked her face tenderly as he held back his own tears. He hummed softly to soothe her cries. Emily closed her eyes as she felt his voice vibrate in his chest. to her it was the most beautiful sound in the world. He smiled when he noticed that she had calmed down sufficiently. After a few moments, she sat up and wiped away her tears. She managed a small smile towards him,

"Thank you, I feel much better now." he hugged her and kissed her on her forehead,

"You're welcome," He leaned in for chaste kiss, "Now, since we have the day to ourselves, is there anything you would like to do in particular?" Emily sat there with a distant look on her face. Erik called he name which caused her to snap to attention. He lowered his voice, "Emily, is there something wrong?" She looked up at him and after a moment, she took a deep breath,

"Erik, Do you remember when I said that I needed to go do some errands?" She sighed as he nodded, his eyes filling up with worry, "Well, they weren't necessarily errands. I went to the Doctor for a check up. After he was done he said something that will change our lives completely. Erik, I'm-"

"Erik! Emily!" They turned to face towards the auditorium doors and saw Raoul standing door. Emily stepped up towards the edge of the stage,

"Raoul! How is Monsieur André?" The Viconte smiled,

"He will live. But, it will be a few weeks until he will recover completely." Emily nodded and said a quiet prayer of thanks to the angels who were watching over her and Monsieur André. Raoul turned to leave, but stopped when he remembered something, "Ahhh, yes Christine and I would like to invite you to dinner tonight at seven. We want to take you to Le Violin Classique, one of the fanciest restaurants in Paris. Will you be able to attend?" Emily turned to look at Erik, who slowly nodded. Raoul smiled, "Very well, we'll meet down here around 6:15." Emily and Erik nodded. They thanked him for the invitation and watched him leave. Erik turned to Emily and held her hands in his,

"Now, what were you going to say?" She took a deep breath,

"As I was saying I went to the doctor and he looked me over. Then he said that I'm..." She looked up into his beautiful eyes and told herself that what she was about to say was for the best, "Fine." She saw the worry in his eyes vanish as relief replaced it. Emily cursed herself for lying to her husband, but she promised that she would tell him when the time was right. She smiled at him and he caressed her face,

"Come, we have to get ready for our rendezvous with the de Changys." Emily nodded as they went to Emily's dressing room. She opened the door and went inside, closing the door behind them. Erik went through his secret passageway behind the newly replaced mirror and went back to his lair, only to come back with a large load of clothes and laid them on the bed, "Well, what should I wear?" Emily walked up to her bed and looked at the clothes. She picked up a white tuxedo shirt, a pair of black pants, an emerald vest, the black tuxedo jacket that went with the pants, and a black,

"What about this ensemble?" Erik turned to his wife and grinned,

"C'est Parfait! What would I do without you?" Emily smiled at her husband's remark. She the remembered something that caused her to run to her dresser,

"I have something you could wear that would go perfect with that outfit." She scrambled around in her drawers until she found a tiny velvet box. She grabbed it and walked towards her husband. She gave him the box and he opened it. Inside was a large solid gold ring with a large emerald stone in the center with two diamonds on each side of the large stone. He focused his wide eyes on his wife who smiled at him, "It belonged to my father. Mother gave it to me shortly before she died. She wanted me to have something to remember him by. Now, I want you to have it." Erik opened his mouth to protest buy Emily put a finger on his lips to silence him, "I don't need a ring to remember my father by. What I have are the memories, which live here," She pointed to where her heart was, "And always will." She smiled at him. Erik looked at her tenderly. She kissed his lips softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body close to his. He intensified the kiss, demonstrating that he was enjoying their romantic actions. Erik parted himself from her. His lips were red and swollen from the heated kiss,

"Mon Amour, we should stop this now before we find ourselves making love on your bed." I don't think that the de Changys would appreciate it if we were late to our rendezvous. Emily traced his lips with her left index finger,

"I suppose that you're right. We should get ready." The two of them then spent the rest of their time getting ready. Erik wore the outfit Emily chose, while Emily chose a blood red dress with an elegant white lace trim around the neckline and the sleeves. She chose a pair of silver earrings with a matching necklace to wear. Emily then began to brush her hair and tied it in a tight bun. When the two of them were ready, Erik led Emily downstairs where the de Changys were waiting. Raoul and Christine smiled at them both as Emily and Erik went down the stairs. They went towards their carriage and then they went to the restaurant where they enjoyed themselves like they never had before. After a couple of hours they returned to the theater. Emily went outside to the very same balcony where she had killed James, and where Christine and Raoul had declared their love for each other. Suddenly, Dominique came out of the shadows and put his hand around her neck, which she tried to get off of her. He grinned maliciously,

"Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't my late brother's _ex_-fiancé. Emily growled,

"Hello, Dominique. What brings you here to Paris." His eyes glowed dangerously,

"Revenge..." She laughed dryly,

"Don't even try to avenge your scumbag of a brother. He wasn't worth it. I'm glad that I got rid of him!" Dominique began to scream,

"YOU," he calmed his voice down, "You little bitch...If I were you, I wouldn't be performing in L'Ange on opening night." He disappeared into the night, leaving the poor woman, shaking on the floor. Erik came running,

"I heard a voice, are you alright?" Emily nodded as Erik picked her up off the floor,

"Yes, I was practicing one of the songs in L'Ange and then I felt dizzy." Erik eyed her suspiciously but then dismissed her statement,

"I want you to move in with me in the lair." He smiled, "You should be living with me anyway. You are my wife." Emily lightly kissed him,

"That I am Monsieur Desslar..." He laughed and led her to his lair where they got ready for bed, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

_A/N: So what did you think? I hoped you liked it! **In order for me to update, I want at least nine reviews. **The next chapter will move fast and we'll get to L'Ange! Sooo, see you next chapter!_


	19. L'Ange

_A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! Sorry I took so long to update, but I lost inspiration and then last night I saw Phantom of the Opera on stage and I knew in my heart that I had to finish this fic for my beloved readers! So on with the thank yous:_

_DancingRose32: Monsieur Andr_é _is not dead, he was wounded! I like him too much to kill him! Great to hear from you again!_

_serena-chan- Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I'm glad you like it! Please continue to review, I love hearing from you!_

_Snape's Opera Rose- Thanks for reviewing, and I really hope you'll like the rest of the story. Please keep reviewing!_

_Phantom Ange- Hello my dear! Sorry but I will say it again, I'm not telling you what's going to happen, you'll just have to read! Thanks again for reviewing!_

_xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad to hear from you again!_

Chapter 18

The day went by quickly and the time to perform L'Ange came. Everyone was rushing around getting their costumes on. Erik and Emily were in their room getting ready. She was helping him put on his jacket when for no particular reason at all Erik asked a rather quizzical question,

"Are you alright?" Emily frowned,

"Yes I'm fine, why do you ask?" Erik eyed her warily,

"You're deathly pale, you've lost weight over the past few months that I've been with you, and your face is looking very sallow." Emily turned away covering her face. Her husband put his arms around her waist and held her, "I'm only pointing that out because I love you, mon amour." He turned her around and lifted her chin up, so that they were seeing each other eye to eye,

"Your eyes tell me that there is something that you are hiding from me..." Emily put on a smile and shook her head,

"I'm just tired, my love..." She kissed him on the lips and continued to fix him up and then started working on her costume. Erik said nothing more on the subject but kept watching Emily. Clearly, this was a completely different Emily from the one that he fell in love with. He shook his head. It's not that she was different in personality, it was just physically...she was starting to look like a corpse. Erik gave an involuntary shudder. Emily saw him,

"Are you cold?" She went over to him and put her small hands on his arms. He shook his head and smiled,

"No dearest, I'm just...a little nervous." Emily gave a weak laugh at his little white lie,

"The Infamous Phantom of the Opera is nervous of being on stage? Please, don't make me laugh." She giggled making her husband smile. Now that was the Emily he knew best. She walked into their bathroom and shut the door. A few minutes later, she came out in her first costume. It was a white dress with black lace on the dress. She twirled around,

"How do I look?" He smiled,

"Picture perfect, my dearest!" There was a knock on the door. Monsieur André came in,

"Come on you two, the show is about to start!" The three of them ran towards the backstage area. The lights dimmed and it was time to start the show. Erik turned to Emily,

"Good luck. I love you." She smiled,

"I love you too, Erik." He kissed her passionately and after they parted, watched her go on stage with Carlotta, and Piangi. There was a terribly sad song playing as the lights went up. Piangi was laying on the bed onstage while Emily and Carlotta took either side next to him. They were pretending to cry as Piangi comforted them,

"Dear wife, do not worry, I will be safe in Heaven." He coughed. Carlotta began to sob harder,

"George, I cannot live without you. We cannot live without you!" Emily sobbed,

"Papa, you will get better, you'll see!" Piangi shook his head,

"Angeline, I'm dying, there is no hope for me!" He smiled at the both of them as he let his body go limp and weakly whispered,

"I love you both...goodbye..." Emily and Carlotta then began to cry hysterically for a few moments. Then, Carlotta got up and walked towards the end of the stage but she turned around,

"I will get the coroner to come and take the body away." She then began to cry once more and walked off the stage. Emily threw herself on Piangi's body and cried. The music began to change as she began to sing,

_Your body's cold, your body's limp_

_ Yet I can't believe you're gone._

_ But somehow I know that you're finally home_

_ So I'll try to cry no more._

The music kept playing as she paused for a while, pretending to cry. She looked out into the audience and saw that some of the women were crying silently. Emily let the tears trickle down her face,

_I know I'll be there someday,_

_ And you'll be there to greet me!_

_ But now I'm here on my knees,_

_ because you have left mom and me._

_ Daddy, why did you have to go?_

_ My dearest father, you weren't that old_

_ But I will see you one-_

There was the sound of a gunshot. There was screaming coming from the audience and they all ran out towards the door. Emily looked down at her dress. The white and black dress had a circle of blood and it was growing, slowly saturating the dress. Emily heard somebody screaming as she fell back. She felt herself being caught and being put on the floor. She focused her eyes and saw that it was Erik. He had a look of helplessness as he held her and screamed for help. Her blood was slowly soaking his white shirt and black pants but he didn't care. He repeatedly told her that he loved her, and that she was going to get better. She knew better, this would be the last time she would see the beautiful face of her husband. She smiled and blood spilled out of her mouth as she weakly sang in a whisper that only Erik could hear,

_You alone can make my song take flight..._

Emily's eyes rolled into the back of her head as it bent backwards. Her breathing stop as Erik tearfully sang in a whisper,

_It's over now, the music of the night!_

He held her dead body close to him as he sobbed hysterically in her hair. The cast members and the Viconte circled around watched from the wings of the stage. Christine sobbed into Raoul's chest and Meg hugged her mother while both of them were sobbing. Erik's weeping grew louder and louder. In despair he screamed out,

"EMILY!" and he held on to her, never wanting to let go.

_A/N: I hoped you liked it, but it's not the end. At least not now, I still have a chapter to go. I'll try to update as soon as possible! See you next chapter!_ _And remember to Review the chapter too! Love you guys!_


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